Our History

The Center celebrates ten years since it began its efforts to make Minnesota a healthier place to live, work, learn and play by tackling the causes of preventable disease — tobacco use, physical activity and unhealthy eating.

Nice Ride Minnesota launches a fleet of bikes to Rochester as part of its ongoing efforts to introduce more communities to the benefits of active transportation, helping the city take a critical first step toward creating the downtown of the future.

The Center is the title sponsor if the 2016 Winter Cycling Congress held in Minneapolis, bringing this annual conference to the United States for the first time, with sessions devoted to promoting and educating decision-makers about the unique challenges of winter bicycling.

The Center is the title sponsor of the sixth annual and first Midwest Youth Bike Summit in Saint Paul, where next generation leaders presented in workshops and keynote addresses on how bicycles are being used to tackle big issues like environmental, social and racial justice. The event was hosted by Cycles for Change, a Health Equity in Prevention (HEiP) program.

As part of the Active Living for All funding initiative, the City of Minneapolis a temporary greenway by closing off a low traffic street to motorized vehicles and creating a space for people walking, biking and playing. This one-of-a-kind trail greenway in place for one year on 5 blocks of Irving Avenue North, connecting Jordan Park to Folwell Park, passing through the Jordan and Folwell neighborhoods. The goal was that residents and the City would get a better idea of how a permanent greenway might work. The City conducted an extensive evaluation of the temporary greenway that has led to more advocacy for the project.

The state continues to see benefits to students through the growth of the Minnesota Safe Routes to School network and continued funding from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Brooklyn Center Secondary School shares some of their successes.

The Center for Prevention fields study of parents, finding that 93% of Minnesota parents and guardians believe there is a connection between students’ health and their ability to learn and succeed in school, while only 12% have actively asked their local school to provide healthier options.