RWJF Culture of Health Prize: Communities Leading the Way

A woman in a straw hat stands near a body of water with her granddaughter.

The RWJF Culture of Health Prize honors the work of communities that are at the forefront of addressing structural racism and other structural injustices, to advance health, opportunity, and equity for all.

RWJF Selects New Culture of Health Prize Winners

The Prize celebrates communities that have made incredible strides toward building safe and supportive places where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Read the news release

About the Prize

Prize-winning communities center residents’ leadership to create opportunities that improve health equity.

Prize winners show us what’s possible when we work across sectors and disciplines, paving the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. Their work can inspire other communities—and policymakers at all levels—to take action to create change.

Partnership within communities has been at the heart of the Prize since the first award in 2013. As this program comes to a close, and we celebrate the 2024 winners, we uplift Prize-winning communities that are:

  • Addressing structural racism and other structural injustices in order to create conditions that advance health equity.
  • Committing to sustainable policy, systems, environmental, and cultural changes.
  • Working alongside partners across sectors, and elevating the expertise and solutions held by people with firsthand experiences of health inequities.
  • Engaging in cultural work that envisions and advances a more just future.
  • Making the most of available community resources and fostering sustainability.
  • Measuring and sharing qualitative and quantitative indicators of progress in culturally relevant ways.

About the 2024 Winners

Babies receiving a massage at an infant messaging class.

City of Trenton, New Jersey

Six people pose for a portrait next to a lemon tree growing outside a storefront.

City of Jurupa Valley, California

Three women stand in a greenhouse admiring plants.

Green Bay, Wisconsin

A man sits with his hands face up.

Juneau, Alaska

A community organizer stands and speaks to a group of residents while they gather around.

Lower Eastern Shore, Maryland, and Sussex County, Delaware

Woman wearing construction hard hat stands on a balcony looking over the surrounding neighborhood.

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Three individuals planting trees on a grassy hillside with a view of the ocean in the distance.

Moloka’I, Hawaii

Community leaders meet at a table in their colorful office.

Sacramento, California

A group of people stand outside in a circle examining a soil sample.

Tribes in the Great Lakes Region

More About the Prize

Learn how Prize winners are inspiring hope and action toward a more just tomorrow.

A woman and man sit on a bunch at a bus stop.

Removing Barriers

By working together, communities are removing barriers and creating more equitable systems.

Students practicing kicks during a Tae Kwon Do class.

Lasting Change

Building a Culture of Health can start with inspiring commitment to change toward creating healthier, more equitable communities.

Two women standing together in an office.

Working Together

Ensuring everyone has the chance to reach their best wellbeing requires addressing complex issues and engaging a wide range of perspectives.

Two smiling women welcome children to a trauma center.

Celebrating Community

Celebrating our communities is a key part of removing the uneven barriers to wellbeing.

Past Culture of Health Prize Winners

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Prize Stories

Columbia River.

Putting the Needs of the Community Front and Center

In the rural Columbia Gorge Region of Oregon and Washington, promoting better health for all means asking what community members need, listening to what they say, and including their ideas in programs and services.

A teacher holding a student during class.

How to Help Students by Helping Their Parents

Poverty and toxic stress are two of the biggest health risks that children face today. To overcome these challenges, a handful of communities are creating partnerships with schools and social services to support parents and keep children healthy.

Public and Community Health
An adult helping a student with homework.

A Community Vision of Mental Health

Centering the community in making its own decisions, confronting a long legacy of trauma and violence, and honoring genuine emotion are among the pathways to mental health that many residents of Palm Beach County are embracing.

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