Our History

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

Nice Ride Minnesota launched a fleet of bikes in downtown 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 was the title sponsor of 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 was 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 were being used to tackle big environmental and social issues. 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 developed a temporary greenway by closing off a low traffic street to motorized vehicles–creating a space for people to walk, bike and play. This one-of-a-kind trail greenway was 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 to give residents, and the city, a better idea of how a permanent greenway might work. The city conducted an extensive evaluation of the temporary greenway that led to more advocacy for the project. 

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