Cultivate South Phoenix (CUSP) is a collaboration-driven coalition committed to inspiring community wellness. The vision of a sustainably vibrant South Phoenix resonates through their mission to promote well-being by improving the natural, built, and social environments.
CUSP’s first success was a partnership with the Roosevelt School District to create a Community School using a community-developed approach to wellness, academic success and financial stability. As a virtual school it has access to facilities and grounds throughout the district, but makes its physical home at Brooks Academy – converting a neighborhood school closed due to decreased enrollment into a new hub for collaborative growth.
In partnership with SLHI, CUSP is taking the intentional steps to develop a sustainable, strengths-based, networked, infrastructure for creating and supporting community health and resiliency. Not surprisingly, that includes helping to get the Brooks Academy greenhouse and adjacent 2.5 acre garden operational and producing crops. And, CUSP members are engaged in various stages of planning and implementation for eight community-driven design proposals. Two examples:
- The Resilient Neighborhood proposal includes designs for shade tree placements, rainwater harvesting, and edible landscapes to help families with annual energy costs and access to healthy food.
- The “No Child Left Inside” campaign provides designs and guidance on expanding physical activity opportunities hand-in-glove with educational requirements and standards.
A loose coalition originally dubbed to be “grounded and growing” is now clearly on the cusp of sustaining positive change for better health and well-being.