June 17, 2026
At CMI2, we believe some of the best ideas come from the people closest to the challenge. That’s why we’re excited to see newly published research from the Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing highlighting the positive impact of youth-designed blue-green spaces on resilience, mental wellness, and community for Appalachian adolescents.
The study reinforces something we’ve seen firsthand through our engagement with students in Clay County, West Virginia: young people want to be part of creating positive change in their communities.
What makes this project unique is that students weren’t simply invited to participate but they helped shape the vision. Collaborating with educators, Georgetown University researchers, and local partners, students contributed to the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) efforts and worked to transform an underutilized area at their high school into a space designed to support well-being, encourage connection, and reflect the needs of their community.
It’s a powerful example of what happens when students are trusted to help shape their communities and the result is much more than physical improvement.
At Fort Andrew, the one-of-a-kind experimentation facility in rural Lizemores, CMI2 employs students from Clay County High School each summer we saw just that last summer. In 2025, CMI2 Ignite summer interns led the efforts to create the Fort Andrew Greenspace as a symbol of growth, collaboration, and forward-looking innovation.
The inspiration for development directly came from CMI2 student interns who were also involved and contributed to the Blue and Green Space project at Clay County High School.
At CMI2, we’re proud to support community initiatives that empower students and build community resilience. Projects like the Clay County High School Blue-Green space development demonstrate that resilience isn’t something that can be delivered to a community, it’s something that grows when individuals work together to create positive change.
And, by giving students a meaningful role in the design process, the finished product is a space that reflects the strengths, needs, and aspirations of the community it serves.
Congratulations to Professor Melody Wilkinson and her team at Georgetown University Berkeley School of Nursing, Clay County High School, and all the local partners who helped bring this vision to life. Most importantly, we celebrate the students whose ideas, creativity, and leadership made it possible.
We also want to acknowledge the contributions of former CMI2 team members and interns who helped support this effort. Their work played an important role in building the partnerships and momentum that made this project possible.
