National training and technical assistance initiative promotes action-oriented approaches
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee has been selected to participate in the 2026 Active People, Healthy Nation℠ Walkability Action Institute (WAI), a national training and technical assistance initiative led by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO).
Now entering its twelfth year, WAI welcomes Tennessee and Iowa as the newest state partners, reflecting continued national momentum and demand for collaborative, action-oriented approaches to improving community walkability. Tennessee’s participation is hosted through the University of Tennessee Extension’s CDC-funded High Obesity Program (HOP), in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and the CDC-funded Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Project.
WAI brings together cross-disciplinary teams of public health professionals, planners, transportation experts and decision-makers at state, regional and local levels. Tennessee will recruit local teams from HOP and REACH counties to participate in WAI’s intensive, hands-on training. Local teams will then develop practical action plans that foster walkable, active communities, and strengthen conditions for better health.
“We are thrilled to have been selected for this opportunity and to partner with state departments and local communities across Tennessee,” says Soghra Jarvandi, associate professor and UT Extension community health specialist. “WAI creates space for collaboration by bringing together stakeholders, experts and community leaders to advance policy, systems and environmental supports for walkable and active built environments through improved community and transportation design.”
Participation in the WAI will significantly strengthen Tennessee’s long-term capacity to support active transportation initiatives. WAI will provide advanced training, shared frameworks and structured planning processes that complement existing HOP, REACH and state-level efforts. By convening an interdisciplinary cohort and advancing locally tailored action plans, the WAI will help Tennessee in planning and implementing sustainable strategies to improve walkability.
“Partnering with UT Extension to participate in the WAI is a great opportunity for us to grow our existing work in rural Tennessee communities to promote opportunities for physical activity and address some of our most pressing health challenges” says John Vick, director of the TDH Office of Primary Prevention.
“Tennessee was one of the sites selected for the first WAI and we can see the long-term, positive impact on participating communities,” adds Tamara Chavez-Lindell, an epidemiologist with TDH and principal investigator for the REACH Project. “We are looking forward to working closely with the HOP team and NACDD to help communities develop locally tailored plans that can improve not only walkability, but transform the health of their residents.”
Since its launch, WAI has trained 750 participants across 112 teams from 34 states and two territories through 17 training events. Collectively, these teams have documented more than 1,400 outcomes, reached more than 60 million people and leveraged more than $540 million in funding—representing a 177:1 return on investment.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.