This report outlines the HKZ concept, methodology and pilot application in Los Angeles as well as begin discussions of how it can be applied to other school communities of need. The HKZ concept takes advantage of schools’ enormous potential as centers of wellness in limited resource communities. Schools are focal points of neighborhoods, with diverse communities, resources, and opportunities revolving around them. The HKZ concept harnesses these assets and opportunities to create a space conducive to supporting the health and well-being of students and residents alike. The concept elevates community design and enforcement standards to address the social determinants that impact health outcomes in low-income communities and communities of color, placing schools as the center of health-promoting neighborhood efforts. The concept was born out of a project funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant program.
