ACL Picks 70 Teams to Make Community Gardens More Accessible: $4,000 Each in Phase 1 Across 37 States and Tribal Communities
WASHINGTON — The Administration for Community Living (ACL), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced on October 23 that it has selected 70 winning teams in Phase 1 of its Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge, a national competition to expand the accessibility of community garden models nationwide.
Garden organizers from 37 states and Tribal communities offered solutions to make their community gardens more accessible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people living with paralysis and other physical disabilities, and older adults. A multidisciplinary expert panel selected the winners based on their approaches to accessibility, sustainability and community partnerships. The full list of winners is available on the challenge website.
Phase 1 winners will receive $4,000 each and are eligible to participate in Phase 2, where they can put their plans into action and track results. The funds support proposed improvements such as adjusting raised bed heights, adding adaptive gardening tools and creating inclusive gardening programs. Teams can earn an additional prize of up to $8,000 based on their Phase 2 implementation results, and Phase 2 submissions are due in May 2027.
“Every American should have the opportunity to grow real food, spend time outdoors, and participate in a healthy community,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These teams are removing barriers that keep older adults and people with disabilities from taking part in community gardens.” Dr. Rebecca Hines, commissioner of ACL's Administration on Disabilities, said the challenge is about inviting people in, and that the Phase 1 winners show what is possible when community gardens are designed to reduce isolation, increase access to healthy food and strengthen community participation.
The challenge builds on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's The People's Garden initiative. ACL's Administration on Disabilities works with states, communities and partners in the disability network to increase the independence, productivity and community integration of people with disabilities.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的农业部「人民花园」高架种植箱，志愿者在栽种花卉与蔬菜（2022年资料图；本次奖赛正是建立在农业部「人民花园」倡议之上）。照片：美国农业部 Preston Keres，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Raised beds at the USDA People's Garden in Washington, D.C., where volunteers plant flowers and vegetables (2022 file photo; the challenge builds on the USDA People's Garden initiative). Photo: Preston Keres, U.S. Department of Agriculture, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
