This October, Project One Health JAX will celebrate the completion of a successful three-year launch period and will mark the beginning of the next phase of work. With $6.1 million in seed funding from Winston Family Foundation, the initiative has sustaining support in place for the next two years as it continues helping Jacksonville youth develop healthier screen habits, spend more time in nature, and strengthen connections with one another and their communities.

Building on the momentum and community support established during the launch phase, the Children & Nature Network and a coalition of local nonprofits and community organizations will now lead the work, with additional support from the University of North Florida’s Institute of Environmental Research and Education. 

“Project One Health JAX began with a mission to help children to flourish in a tech-heavy world, and to do that we must work across neighborhoods and sectors to reduce their time on screens and make nature a more meaningful part of how they live, learn and play,” said Sylia Obagi, Founding Executive Director of Winston Family Foundation. “I am deeply proud of what this community has built and grateful to the many partners who will continue to bring their expertise, leadership and commitment to the work. Most importantly, I believe Jacksonville is beginning to think differently about child well-being. Access to nature is increasingly becoming part of the conversation about how we design schools, parks, neighborhoods and other systems that shape children’s daily lives. I have every confidence that work will continue to grow.”

With the launch phase of Project One Health JAX complete, Winston Family Foundation will transition into four separate philanthropic organizations led by each of the trustees, who will establish funding priorities aligned with their personal passions and interests. Building on the Winston family’s decades-long history of community investment and philanthropy, the foundation will welcome a new Winston generation into that tradition.

The foundation’s transition plan prioritized continuity and sustainable support for Project One Health JAX. The work is led by an extensive network of community organizations and nonprofit partners in four Urban Core neighborhoods. Groundwork Jacksonville leads the work in the neighborhood of Brentwood; LIFT JAX leads the initiative in the Eastside neighborhood; Trey Ford of Florida Fish Pepper Co. and LISC Jacksonville collaborate on programming for New Town; and Partnership for Child Health leads the work in Springfield. Project One Health JAX programs were designed and implemented with input from neighborhood residents and with support from schools, after-school programs, youth organizations, health partners and other community leaders.

Results from the first full year of community programming demonstrate strong momentum. During the first year of evaluated neighborhood programming, Project One Health JAX reached more than 470 young people across 13 program sites, delivered more than 4,300 hours of screen-free, nature-based programming and hosted 65 community activations. Among youth surveyed, 92% said they would recommend their program to a friend.

Project One Health JAX investments have also supported system-level improvements across Jacksonville, including the creation of Duval County Public Schools’ ReconnectED initiative to increase outdoor learning and nature-based experiences during the school day. Additional investments have strengthened neighborhood infrastructure through tree-canopy projects, as well as shade structures and misting systems in local parks to make outdoor spaces more comfortable for children and families on hot days.

Additionally, more than 2,000 children and adults across Northeast Florida have participated in the initiative’s Less Screen. More Green 30-Day Challenge, committing to spend more time outdoors and build healthier screen habits.

As Project One Health JAX enters its next phase, neighborhood organizations will remain at the center of implementation. Children & Nature Network, which has provided technical assistance and evaluation support since the initiative’s early stages, will lead the initiative alongside community partners through 2028. 

“Project One Health JAX has demonstrated what is possible when neighborhood leadership is paired with strong cross-sector collaboration and a shared commitment to helping children thrive,” said Monica Lopez-Magee, President and CEO of Children & Nature Network. “We are grateful to the Winston Family Foundation for providing the seed funding and vision that helped launch a new movement in Jacksonville. The next phase is an opportunity to build on what we have learned, strengthen the practices and partnerships already taking root and continue moving toward systems that make access to nature a regular part of childhood.”

Additionally, Dr. Erin Largo-Wight, director of UNF’s Institute of Environmental Research and Education, will help guide and inform the work with her expertise. Dr. Largo-Wight leads research examining the relationship between nature, human health and well-being. Her work includes studying nature interventions in schools, workplaces, homes and communities and is grounded in a One Health perspective that recognizes the reciprocal relationship between people and the environment. 

Over the next two years, Project One Health JAX partners will continue strengthening neighborhood programs, learning from evaluation findings and building partnerships that help shape systems that influence Jacksonville children every day. 

Jacksonville will also welcome Children & Nature Network’s Nature Everywhere Conference May 11–14, 2027, bringing hundreds of leaders from fields including health, education, youth development, government, philanthropy and environmental work to the city. The national gathering focuses on programs, practices and policies that expand equitable access to nature where children live, learn and play, and Project One Health JAX will be among the local work highlighted during the conference.