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Newark, NJ (June 18, 2025) – The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant.
We are one of only 383 grantees selected (out of 3,450+ applications!) from across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With this quick-action grant, we will engage Newark’s 50-plus population in sharing their mobility experiences, documenting insights, highlighting challenges, and contributing ideas for a more inclusive active transportation future through interactive, storytelling-based activities. Hosted across all five wards, these community conversations will provide space for older adults to share their experiences and perspectives, ensuring equitable opportunities for their voices to inform future planning for active modes of transportation.
“We are incredibly proud that AARP selected the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition for this investment, enabling us to engage Newark’s older residents in conversations about active transportation while also providing education to support meaningful engagement. By fostering dialogue and sharing resources, we’re helping residents feel informed and prepared for future mobility changes, ensuring that active travel solutions truly work for the community,” said Debra Kagan, Executive Director.
We’re partnering with Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, working in conjunction with their Girl Scout Leadership Center in Newark, to foster intergenerational engagement and elevate community voices in shaping equitable mobility solutions. Through this collaboration, Girl Scouts will co-lead interviews and listening sessions with older residents. Seniors will share their lived experiences through audio and video storytelling, reflecting on how they navigated the city in the past and their perspectives on emerging mobility options. As an organization dedicated to building youth of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place, Girl Scouts are uniquely positioned to facilitate these conversations with empathy and curiosity. The resulting stories—paired with interactive mapping exercises and community discussions—will preserve Newark’s rich history while identifying priorities for accessibility and equitable transportation planning.
“Newark’s older residents hold a wealth of knowledge about mobility, history, and the changes in their community. Our goal is to ensure that these voices are heard and valued in transportation planning, especially the initiatives we’re leading, while also highlighting how active travel infrastructure enhances the value of place. By engaging seniors and youth in these conversations, we’re priming the community for future active travel investments that reflect local needs and Newark’s evolving mobility landscape while strengthening intergenerational connections,” said Tiffany Robinson, Trails Network Manager and Project Manager.
For more information about upcoming events and opportunities to get involved, contact Tiffany Robinson at tiffany.robinson@njbwc.org.
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About the AARP Community Challenge
The AARP Community Challenge grant program supports projects in areas such as public places, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, community resilience, and more. In 2025, Toyota Motor North America is providing funding for pedestrian safety projects that aim to improve streets and sidewalks nationwide. Microsoft is also contributing funding for digital connections projects aimed at expanding high-speed internet (broadband) access and adoption.
This is all part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all. AARP believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life. To learn more about the projects being funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation, including all 383 granted projects this year, visit AARP.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of current and past AARP Community Challenge projects and AARP’s Livable Communities work at AARP.org/Livable.
About Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) believes in the power of every girl. Our leadership program is designed to help girls discover who they are, what they can do, and connect with a powerful community of girls and mentors to make it happen. With unique opportunities, Girl Scouts explore, learn, succeed, and take action to make a difference in their community. Providing over 13,000 girls from kindergarten through 12th grade access to leadership programs and mentors throughout Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, southern Warren, and parts of Middlesex counties, GSHNJ offers girls a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership. GSHNJ operates two service centers located in North Branch and Westfield and the Girl Scout Leadership Center in Newark as well as three camp locations: Camp Hoover in Middleville, N.J., Camp DeWitt in Hillsborough, N.J., and The OVAL in Maplewood, N.J. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, please visit www.gshnj.org.
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