Activation Austin: the name of the public health program installed. The primary goal was to advocate an active lifestyle with the resources available in Austin’s city limits. Step one was to educate the community on various benefits of exercise in a psychological, social, and biological perspective in an original flyer which highlighted different ways to be active in Austin. Step two was to create an incentive with this flyer so that the Austin community would be more inclined to participate in the event. KIND bars were used as such incentive because a prior relationship has been made with this company, and also because KIND bars’ mission is to “delight [people’s] taste buds and keep [their] body happy,” which overlaps with Activation Austin’s mission.
Majority of the time spent on the project was in the preparation phase conducting research on the benefits of exercise. Accurate, relatable, and concise information was desired for the flyer. A considerable amount of time was allotted to convey the information obtained onto an enticing, and eye catching flyer. In the future, someone educated in Photoshop would be valuable in this particular task.
Although the preparation took time, Activation Austin was prepared and set for execution. Initially, the program was planned to happen along the trails of Lady Bird Lake, however due to the weather being fickle, the Austin community whom would have stopped to discuss the benefits of exercise would not have been present on the muddy, wet trails. Therefore the West Mall of the University of Texas was initiated as plan B. In the future, long-term planning will include checking the weather or for other interferences (ex. 10k races, festivals, etc.). Out on the West Mall, volunteers were given supplemental amounts of the flyer/KIND bar packages as well as the theory, mission, and insight of Activation Austin. After roughly an hour, all the resources were handed out to various students, faculty, and staff.
A small percentage of the Austin community was reached, yet the students, faculty, and staff reached out to were surprised by some of the benefits of an active lifestyle. Students particularly took note how aerobic exercises improves people’s ability to focus for long periods of time, and how an active lifestyle makes people more resistant to drowsiness. Since college students are expected to study tirelessly, the flyer provided inspiration and motivation to visit the gym, go on a run, or swim in the future. Promoting an active lifestyle through education of the atypical benefits would hopefully inspire people to go out and take advantage of the city’s recreational activities provided in the flyer. All in all, Activation Austin was a success.
Another successful public health event was conducted by Kacie Petrequin who sold multi-colored key chains and bracelets. Her goal was to donate all the proceeds to an organization that promotes fair global trade and fights against the harsh conditions in sweat shops. Participation in both programs did have a positive impact on public health by making the community more aware of their lives and those around them.