The Healthy Initiative Program goal is to improve the quality of life by promoting healthy lifestyles. It focuses on increasing health awareness by informing, enhancing and guiding public health efforts within communities.
Building Healthier Communities
In 2011 the University District was recognized as a Growing Healthy Community in the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention/ Growing Healthy Communities Program which emphasizes improving the health of communities by increasing physical activity and healthy eating and drinking to reduce and prevent obesity.
In 2016, UDDC began working in collaboration with partner organizations such as the American Beverage Association, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Company, and Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group in their Balance Calories Initiative, which has a goal to reduce beverage calories consumed per person nationally by 20% by 2025.
The University District Healthy Initiative Program is presently recognized as a Thriving Community in the Growing Healthy Communities Program and works with various organizations in efforts toward improving the quality of life in the University District Community.
Healthy Initiative Program:
Garden to Grill Health Awareness Class
The Garden to Grill Health Awareness Class includes nutrition education, physical activity education, stress management, strategies for effectively addressing barriers and a healthy food demonstration. The comprehensive approach focuses teaching individuals to adopt healthy behaviors by increasing knowledge and awareness about obesity, its risks factors and methods of prevention while understanding and addressing the causes and barriers. 
One of the leading goals of Garden to Grill is to educate individuals on how to prepare healthy whole meals with foods that are grown from the garden. Garden to Grill focuses on the benefits of using a grill pan instead of frying pan. In addition, it focuses on the benefits of exercising, improving health through managing stress, and addressing barriers of leading healthy lifestyles.
At the end of the class, each participant receives educational materials reflecting the learning targets, samples of healthy drinks, and an opportunity to receive a grill pan to help reinforce healthy behaviors.
Oak Forest Community Garden
The Oak Forest Community Garden focuses on access to fresh fruits and vegetables for the community as well as providing education on nutrition and food preparation; and develop a beautiful green space where individuals, families and groups may grow nutritious, organic vegetables and fruits for themselves, the community food banks and local farmer’s markets.
The garden has traditional garden beds, communal rows, a greenhouse, a youth section, high beds (ADA Compliance), a rose arbor, a fruit orchard, nut trees, and much more! It serves as a destination space for people of all ages to gather and participate in social interactions. For more information about the garden, please call 501-683-7356.
University District Farmer’s Market
The University District Farmers Market focuses on increasing consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally grown fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables. In addition, it focuses on educating the community about purchasing, cooking, and eating healthy foods. 
The UDDC works with various farmers, gardeners, craft persons, and chefs to create an atmosphere that fosters a place where community members can find affordable produce and products and learn about healthy cooking.
The market is held weekly from May through September. One goal of the farmer’s market is to reduce the impact of a food desert by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
The University District Health/Wellness Fair
The wellness fair focuses on identifying and addressing health-related risks and teaching ways to eliminate bad habits to improve health by providing health assessments and increasing awareness as it relates to counseling, healthy nutrition, fitness, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, tobacco cessation, etc. The University District Development Corporation works in collaboration with UA Little Rock and other organizations to increase awareness of public health issues and eliminating health disparities in the University District. 
One of the leading goals of the wellness fair is directing the University District’s residents toward healthy eating and drinking habits and increasing physical activity. A one-year gym membership is offered to University District residents for completing the set of health assessments as an incentive to promote healthy behaviors.