Louisville ECHO program honored by Aetna Foundation

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WEBVTT AND ENJOY NATURE.JEFF PEGUES I REDUCES COMMUNITYCRY -- A USES NATURE TO HELPKIDS LEARN AND REDUCE COMMUNITYCRIME.YOU HAVE YOUR OWN ECOSYSTEMAROUND.MOLA LENGHI JEFF PEGU -- STEPHO THAT'S WHAT SOME LOCALLEADERS AND THE AETNA FOUNDATION BELIEVE ISCRITICAL FOR YOUTH IN URBANAREAS OF OUR CITY MORE NAMELY IN OUR WEST END.>> THE OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FOREST OFFERSDON'T JUST FOCUS ON HAVINGACTIVITIES AT THE FOCUS.BUT THEY HAVE EXTENDED MUCH OF THEIR PROGRAMMING IN A THOUGHTFUL ANDDELIBERATE MANNER FOR URBANYOUTH TO HAVE FUN AND HEALTHYACTIVITIES THAT SO MANY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. STEPHON: VOLUNTEERS AT JEFFERSONMEMORIAL FOREST PROVIDE PROGRAMS FOR KIDSTHAT ADDRESS UNIQUE ISSUFACING LOUISVILLE COMMUNITIESWHICH IN , TURN EXPOSES KIDS TOEXPERIENCES THEY OTHERWISE WOULD NOT GET.AS A YOUTH-SERVICES PROVIDERIN SMOKETOWN THIS LAST FALL I, WAS SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO WATCHTHE PARKS VAN COME PICK UP OUR YOUNGPEOPLE TEENAGERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TAKE THEM TO THE FOREST TO LEARN TO LIGHT A FIRFOR THE FIRST TIME, TO LEARN TOPITCH A TENT TO LEARN TO USE THE, BOW AND ARROW. STEPHON: RIPPY WENT ON TO SAYTHAT YOUTH IN THE PROGRAM WALK AWAY MORE CONFIDENT AND THIS 25,000 DOLLAR AWARD TO LOUISVILLE ECHOWILL ALLOW EVEN MORE KIDS TOENJOY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

A community health program in Louisville is one of 10 nationwide being honored by the Aetna Foundation.

The West Louisville Outdoor Recreation Initiative engages nearly 1,000 young people in after-school programs geared toward nature.

Louisville ECHO, which stands for Engaging Children Outdoors, uses nature as a way to deter stress and reduce community crime.

The program received a $25,000 grant as a Spotlight Award recipient.

"As a youth services provider in a small town, this last fall I was so fortunate to be able to watch the parks van come pick up our young people, teenagers in the neighborhood, take them to the forest to learn to light a fire for the first time, learn to pitch a tent, to learn to use the bow and arrow," Lynn Rippy of Youthbuild Louisville said.

Louisville Echo started in 2008 with seed funding from the U.S. Forest Service.

The program offers multiple nature experiences for fourth-grade students at three public schools in west Louisville.