Evaluation of Lassen County Healthy Community Project (1997-1998)

EVALUATION OF LASSEN COUNTY HEALTHY COMMUNITY PROJECT (1997-1999)

This project established a relationship between an evaluation team from the California Communities Program at UC Davis and two separate but related projects that aimed to develop Lassen County as a "healthy community." The first project, funded by the California Endowment, involved a set of healthy community initiatives under the direction of the Community Planning and Advisory Council (ComPAC). The goal of these initiatives was to promote strong families, quality education, holistic health, a sense of community/civic infrastructure, treasuring and protecting the environment, and economic opportunities. The second project, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, was a community fitness health promotion project conducted by Northeastern Rural Health Clinics, Inc. (NRHC).

The purpose of the evaluation was to engage participants in ComPAC's healthy community initiatives (including the Community Fitness Health Promotion Project) in a process of reflection and continuous learning related to project activities and goals. The evaluation sought to help the community focus its goals, reflect on the actions taken to reach goals, assess progress, chart direction, and change as needed to meet challenges effectively.