Improving health and well-being is a top priority for communities across Kansas. One innovative example of how Kansas counties can mobilize community members to improve health comes from Cowley County.
Health is shaped by many factors, including type of job, economic status, level of education and access to healthy foods and transportation. The availability of data, evidence, guidance and stories has further broadened understanding about health in communities. Improving the factors that shape health often requires a multifaceted approach that involves mobilizing the community to act, considering the impacts of policies on health, working across sectors and elevating voices of individuals with lived experience.
On November 29, 2022, Legacy, A Regional Community Foundation in Cowley County, in collaboration with RISE Cowley and USD 470 Early Literacy Initiative, hosted an innovative and groundbreaking Data Walk event to engage community partners, including frontline service providers, nonprofit directors, city/county/state officials, school district officials, private philanthropies and passionate community leaders, in a meaningful conversation about improving the health of children in their community.
