Project HEAL (Health.Equity.Art.Learning)

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, IDEAS xLab, and the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky conducted an HIA to examine how implementing Project HEAL could affect health in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Project HEAL is a community development model that uses arts and culture activities to increase civic engagement and drive equitable policy change. The HIA examined potential changes to social isolation and cohesion, civic engagement in policymaking, educational achievement, economic well-being, and the physical environment as a result of three initiatives: One Poem at a Time, an effort to limit negative advertising in low-income communities; Hero+Shero Journeys, an environmental justice program at a local middle school; and HOPEBOX (also known as Smoketown Laundry), a full-service laundromat, community center, and local business incubator for worker-owned co-ops in the health sector.

Using baseline health data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Center for Health Statistics, a literature review, and community feedback gathered through arts and culture activities, the HIA found that the primary health benefit of Project HEAL would be increased social cohesion and improved mental health outcomes. Other potential benefits include enhanced academic performance, better environmental health, and increased opportunities for economic well-being.