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On behalf of “America Walks,” Adriana Hochberg, chief of staff at D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment, has been awarded a Walking College Fellowship.
America Walks serves as a national advocacy organization that promotes walking and walkable communities.
The fellowship will enable Hochberg and 23 other advocates from across the country to participate in a four-month training program designed to enhance local efforts in making communities more walkable.
“We are delighted to welcome Adriana Hochberg as a member of our 2017 Walking College class,” said Ian Thomas, America Walks state and local program director. “This program was developed in response to our findings that access to technical assistance and a national peer network are among the most pressing needs for advocates working at the local level.”
Hochberg will complete a six-module distance-education training program this summer and participate in the National Walking Summit to be held in September in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“The District of Columbia is a leader in walkability, but our metropolitan region has room for improvement,” Hochberg said. “I am honored to have been selected for the Walking College and look forward to helping our region become more pedestrian-friendly.”
Now in its third year, the Walking College curriculum expands the capacity of local advocates as effective community change agents. Topics include the science behind the benefits of walking, evaluation of built environments, as well as communication skills and building relationships with stakeholders and decision makers.
At the conclusion of the Walking College program in November, fellows will develop a Walking Action Plan that improves walkability in their communities.