State Rep. Kate Farrar, who represents the 20th District (West Hartford and Newington), will be attending the inaugural ‘State Legislator Champions Institute.’

Submitted

Smart Growth America (SGA) has announced that state Rep. Kate Farrar (D-20th) of West Hartford and Newington is selected for the first class of the State Legislator Champions Institute. The State Legislator Champions Institute is a program created to help state legislators develop the skills and knowledge necessary to create transportation policies, plans, and funding mechanisms that support public health, climate, and equity goals.

“I am so pleased to welcome state Rep. Kate Farrar to the first class of the State Legislator Champions Institute,” said Beth Osborne, vice president of Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America, and former acting assistant secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. “State legislators are in a key position to set transportation policy and oversee transportation spending. Through the Champions Institute, SGA will work to support participants in making their state’s transportation system more friendly and help advance state Rep. Kate Farrar’s vision of more accessible, equitable, and economically viable communities for all Connecticut residents.”

“The State Legislator Champions Institute is a great opportunity to work and learn from legislators across the country and leading transportation experts,” said Farrar. “I’m looking forward to developing ideas, collaborating on solutions, and forging relationships that will help me advance the 20th District and Connecticut.”

Over seven weeks in March and April, participants in the State Legislator Champions Institute will attend virtual learning sessions that will make them experts in equity-based principles and train them on the fundamental steps to take to change transportation policy in their state, from legislation and funding to oversight and community engagement. Participants will also learn about best practices and challenges from across the country, as they navigate different strategies in a collaborative and supportive peer-learning environment.

The state legislators selected for the State Champions Institute will have the opportunity to learn from a broad array of national experts in the areas of public health, policy, street design, climate change mitigation, public safety, and project implementation. At the completion of the Institute’s program, Champions will be experts in promoting state-level policy to create safer transportation options for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists. Champions will also be prepared to support plans, policies, and funding that promote the CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation Initiative of expanding activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations, in their communities.

This program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. This program is designed to support the Active People, Healthy Nation initiative through developing more activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations.

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