Pine Island Active Living Workshop
Goodhue County SHIP held an Active Living Workshop in Pine Island on March 3, 2011.  The keynote speaker, Mark Fenton, discussed the importance of creating more livable and walkable communities.  The purpose of this workshop was to educated community leaders on the impact of sedentary lifestyles and how the design of a community can influence public health.  Click the link to see a copy of the keynote presentation: (see more)

SE MN Regional Active Living Workshop
SHIP staff and partners gathered together on April 7, 2010 for an Active Living Workshop.  Attendees listened to national and local experts on how to build capacity within communities to support physical activity.  The speakers' presentations are below:

Keynote: Mark Fenton, National Expert on Biking and Walking - (see more)
Breakout Session: Jill Chamberlain, Community Initiative Project Manager, The Center for Prevention of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota - (see more)
Breakout Session: Mitzi Baker, AICP Senior Planner with the Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department -
(see more)
Breakout Session: Greg Ingraham, Planner and Landscape Architect with Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. (HKGi) - (see more)

Active Living is a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. The goal is to accumulate at least 30 minutes of activity each day. Individuals may achieve this by walking or bicycling for transportation, exercise or pleasure; playing in the park; working in the yard; taking the stairs; and using recreation facilities.

SHIP staff is working with local city/county government officials to examine how our cities are designed.  The streets of our cities and towns are an important part of the livability of our communities. They ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper. In communities across the country, a movement is growing to complete the streets. States, cities and towns are asking their planners and engineers to build road networks that are safer, more livable, and welcoming to everyone.

For more Information on SHIP activities in your county, please contact your local SHIP coordinator.