Active Michigan Communities

Click here to learn more about Active Community Environments

The Promoting Active Communities Program

Resources

Active Michigan Communities Coalition

The Promoting Active Communities (PAC) Program

The Michigan Fitness Foundation is dedicated to supporting healthy lifestyles in communities designed to support physical activity.  Based on this vision, the Michigan Fitness Foundation facilitates the Promoting Active Communities (PAC) Program to assist Michigan communities to create and support active living environments. 

Purpose

The PAC program is like no other in the country.  It recognizes communities that have made a commitment to become healthier places to live by following Active Living Community Principles.  This unique program consists of:

• A FREE online self-assessment tool that a team of community members use to evaluate their community’s environments, policies, and programs related to promoting and supporting physical activity, and
• An award system to recognize innovative Michigan communities that are taking steps to make it easier for citizens to lead an active lifestyle.

Each PAC assessment section is scored and a personalized community report is created that can be used for planning purposes. 

To access the PAC online self-assessment tool, visit http://www.mihealthtools.org/communities.

This unique online self-assessment was created in partnership with the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Michigan Fitness Foundation, Michigan State University, and the Prevention Research Center of Michigan. 

Photo courtesy of Dan Burden

Benefits

There are many benefits communities receive when they participate in the Promoting Active Communities Program. 

• Recognition: the resulting award brings recognition to the community for achievements in removing barriers to make it easier for people to be active.
• Planning: personalized community reports enhance the community planning process by describing strengths and potential for improvements.
• Partnerships: local leaders develop new partnerships as a result of working together to complete assessment.
• Awareness: media announcements increase awareness among residents about the community’s vision and assets related to active living.
• Marketing: communities use their award as another mechanism for promoting their hometowns.

 

By popular demand, the PAC program now has a new logo to identify and promote active living communities as places where people are inspired to incorporate physical activity into their everyday life. The fresh look provides marketing opportunities through active living brand recognition and increased visibility of the growing movement to create pedestrian and bike-friendly communities. With the new logo, the PAC program will help integrate active living into the statewide culture. Participating communities who want to use the logo should contact Sarah Panken at slpanken@michiganfitness.org.

Who Participates

Every City, Village, Township, or Charter Township in the State of Michigan is eligible to participate in the PAC Program, complete an assessment and submit it for award consideration.  Communities may complete the assessment, but not submit it for award consideration.  Communities located outside of Michigan may complete the assessment, but are not eligible for award consideration.  Communities not eligible for award consideration, however, may want to submit their assessment so that they can receive a detailed final report.

Since the PAC Program’s creation in 2000:

• 115 Michigan communities from 53 counties have completed the PAC assessment at least once, and
• 34 Michigan communities have earned an award more than once, with many communities moving up an award level.

The 2009 PAC Awards Ceremony was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Click here to see past PAC program participants and award winners.

 

Tell us your story! Has your community embraced active living?  Click here to share your success with us.

 

Resources

Photo courtesy of Dan Burden

 

Do you want to spark interest in active living communities in your hometown? Do you want to learn more about Michigan communities that are using innovative strategies to create and maintain active living environments? Keep reading to find out about resources that you can use.

 

 

 

Presentations & Community Stories
Pictures can speak louder than words. Download presentations to enhance your effort to advocate for active living. It’s easy, just follow these steps:

Step 1: Review the presentation instructions to help you decide which presentation(s)
will best suit your needs and to become familiar with how to use the presentations.

Step 2: Select and download presentations:

• Active Living Overview

Active Living Overview 30 minutes

Active Living Overview 15 minutes

• Community Feedback Report Results

• Community Stories

Model Ordinances from Michigan Communities
Learn from your neighbors as you work to integrate active living principles into your community’s policies and master plan. The Michigan Fitness Foundation created this resource to provide communities with key concepts and specific examples of zoning ordinances and master plans from Michigan communities that are using innovative strategies to design for active living. This resource was created to enhance the planning process of communities as they work to support, encourage, and design for physical activity. Click here to view Model Ordinances examples from Michigan communities.

Promoting Active Communities Mentors
Would you like to talk with someone who has hands-on expertise with the Promoting Active Communities (PAC) Program and active living initiatives? Feel free to contact any of the following people to gain valuable insight into their experience with the PAC Program and to better understand what their communities are doing to become more active.

Ann Arbor
Wendy Rampson
Systems Planner
City of Ann Arbor
wrampson@a2gov.org

(734) 994-2802

Howell
Shea Charles
City Manager
City of Howell
scharles@cihowell.mi.us

(517) 546-3502

St. Clair
Scott Adkins
City Superintendent
City of St. Clair
sadkins@cityofstclair.com

(810) 329-7121

Ypsilanti
Lily Guzman
Public Health Educator
Washtenaw County Public Health Department
guzmanl@ewashtenaw.org
(734) 544-2983

More mentors to come.

Photo courtesy of Safe Routes to School

 

Active Michigan Communities Coalition

The Active Michigan Communities (AMC) Coalition is a group of multi-disciplinary stakeholders that is working to raise awareness about active living communities in Michigan and the Promoting Active Communities (PAC) Program.

Vision
The Active Michigan Communities Coalition envisions Michigan communities that provide safe and convenient opportunities for residents to embrace active living, resulting in enhanced public and individual health, sustainable communities, and vibrant local and regional economies.

Mission
The Active Michigan Communities Coalition aims to increase the number of Michigan communities with adopted policies, programs and physical design that support active living.

Goals

Goal 1: To increase participation in the Promoting Active Communities Program and community progression through the award levels

Goal 2: To expand the resources/tools associated with the Promoting Active Communities Program

Goal 3: To advocate for state and local policy that embraces active living concepts

Goal 4: To ensure that the Active Michigan Communities Coalition has adequate resources, which enable us to accomplish our mission and goals and sustain the PAC Program.

AMC Coalition Members

Katherine Alaimo	Michigan State University
Debra Alfonso	Michigan Department of Transportation
Ellen Bassett	Portland State University
Trina Boyle-Holmes	Michigan Department of Education
Andrea Brown	Michigan Association of Planning
Patricia Carrow	Office of Highway Safety Planning
Brad Garmon	Michigan Environmental Council
Lisa Grost	Michigan Department of Community Health
LeRoy Harvey	Moving Our Community Toward Health Coalition
Cindy Krupp	Michigan Department of Transportation
David Mendez	University of Michigan School of Public Health
Jennifer Mosack	Michigan State Uniersity
Sarah Panken	Michigan Fitness Foundation
Trudy Rampy	Michigan State Police
Bruce Ross	Van Buren Township, Department of Recreation and Facilities
Jean Ruestman	Michigan Department of Transportation
Rebecca Rynbrandt	City of Wyoming, Department of Parks and Recreation
Janine Sinno	Ingham County health Department
Risa Wilkerson	Michigan Fitness Foundation

 

For more information on Active Communities, please contact Sarah Panken, Active Communities Coordinator at (800) 434-8642 or slpanken@michiganfitness.org.

 

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