LUPA @ Nova

The LUPA team met regularly with the NOVA Academy students.  After learning the concept of land use planning and discussing what it means for themselves and for their community, they determined that focusing on CV Link would be the ideal way to reinforce what they learned and how all the various pieces of planning fit together.  CV Link is a proposed 50-mile active transportation trail that would traverse along the valley from Palm Springs/Desert Hot Springs to the City of Coachella. One of the best opportunities they had to be a part of this planning process was by participating in the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) community workshops.  The HIA was commissioned by CV Link's lead agency, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) and the County of Riverside Department of Public Health.

nova students' work

This photovoice  was the final product created in collaboration  with each other, Coachella Unic., and the LUPA team.  It was first shown on March 19, 2015 during the CVLink HIA public workshop and it has now become part of the HIA public record.

meet the nova team

My name is Richard Tapia and I attend Nova.  When I'm not drowning in homework, I read the news, work on phones and work with computers.

My name is Andres Rios.  I see myself as an important part of my community and for that reason I like to help out to make it better.  I love reading books and I would like to read one where my community's story includes my own.

Hello!  My name is Aileen and I am a senior at Nova Academy.  When I am not playing or feeding cats, I am busy reading medical books or watching dissections/surgeries.  I want to be in the medical field, if you can tell.

Hey! I am Jatzel Garcia, a junior at Nova Academy.  I enjoy listening to music, spending time with my family and friends, and putting a little of who I am into everything that comes my way.

ms. Zavala

Hello, my name is Ms. Zavala and I am the HealthCorps Coordinator at NOVA Academy. I grew up in the Coachella Valley and feel very passionate about promoting health and education. On my spare time I like to cook, read, exercise and dance.