Creating healthier communities by making the healthy choice the easy choice

Shaping Everyday Choices

Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) strategies focus on improving the places where people live, learn, work, shop, and play. Rather than relying solely on individual education, PSE approaches address the policies, practices, and environments that shape everyday choices.

Examples include increasing access to fresh produce at farmers markets and grocery stores, supporting healthier workplace and school environments, strengthening community-clinical partnerships, and improving opportunities for physical activity.

By changing policy, systems and environments, these strategies create lasting improvements that support nutrition security, health equity, and community resilience.

Explore the Resource Library:

Discover practical tools, guides, and examples to plan, implement, and evaluate PSE strategies in your community.

What You’ll Find in the Library

  • Farmers market and food access resources
  • Healthy retail implementation tools
  • Community-clinical linkage resources
  • Social determinants of health (SDOH) trainings
  • Participatory Action Research (PAR) tools
  • Worksite wellness resources
  • School and early childhood wellness materials
  • Physical activity and active living resources
  • Community engagement and coalition-building tools
  • Evaluation and sustainability resources

View the resource library

Featured Resource Collections

What Is PSE?

Learn how policy, systems, and environmental strategies create sustainable changes that improve community health.

About PSE

PSE Strategy Resources

Explore topic-specific tools, case studies, and implementation guides.

View Resources

Evaluation and Sustainability

Access resources to measure impact and sustain long-term change.

Learn more

PSE Resource Library

Browse a centralized collection of downloadable tools, guides, and templates.

Explore the library

What Is PSE?

PSE strategies address the structural and environmental factors that influence health. These approaches can:

  • Improve access to affordable, nutritious foods
  • Support active living and healthy community design
  • Strengthen partnerships across sectors
  • Reduce barriers faced by underserved communities
  • Create lasting systems change beyond a single program or grant

Common Community Settings

PSE strategies can be implemented in places where people:

  • Eat — Restaurants, senior meal sites, and food service settings
  • Learn — Schools, early childhood programs, libraries, and colleges
  • Live — Housing developments, faith communities, and healthcare settings
  • Play — Parks, trails, recreation centers, and community spaces
  • Shop — Grocery stores, corner stores, farmers markets, and food banks
  • Work — Offices, worksites, and employee wellness programs

Resource Library

Browse Community Engagement resources by topic area below.

Farmers Markets & Food Access

Resources, case studies, and implementation tools that support food access initiatives, nutrition incentive programs, local food systems, and farmers’ market promotion.

Resource Download / View
Farmers Market Initiative Resources View Resources
Get More at the Farmers Market Campaign Guide View Guide
Farmers Market Food Navigators Help Low-Income Shoppers Eat More Healthily and Improve Sales View Case Study
Market Match Outreach Materials View Resources

Healthy Retail

Tools, case studies, and implementation resources that help improve healthy food access and promotion in grocery stores, corner stores, and community retail environments.

Resource Download / View
Healthy Retail Marketing Guide View Guide
Promoting Health in the Grocery Store View Guide
Safe Shopping Materials View Resources
Healthy Materials Print Materials Download Materials
Healthy Stores, Healthy Shoppers View Case Study
Healthy Retail Intervention Literature Review View Literature Review

Community-Clinical Linkages

Resources that connect healthcare providers with community-based nutrition and food access services.

Resource Download / View
CDC Community-Clinical Linkages Two-Pager View Resource
Bridging Regional Food Systems and Healthcare White Paper Download PDF

Worksite Wellness

Resources that help employers create healthier food and physical activity environments.

Resource Download / View
California Fit Business Kit Download PDF
Healthy Employees, Healthy Business View Resource
Healthy Workplace Wellness Resources View Resource

School & Early Childhood Wellness

Resources, case studies, and implementation tools that support healthy learning environments, strengthen wellness policies, and promote student health and well-being.

Resource Download / View
School Wellness Policy Tools Download PDF
Chawanakee Unified School District Case Study View Case Study
School Districts Come Together to Share Experiences, Strategies for Creating Healthier Learning Environments View Resource

Active Living

Resources that support physical activity, active transportation, recreation, stress reduction, and healthy lifestyles across a variety of ages, abilities, and settings.

Resource Download / View
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind View Resources
Physical Activity for Older Adults View Resources
Physical Activity for Individuals with Injuries or Disabilities View Resources
Fitness During and After Pregnancy View Resources
Simple Exercises for Kids View Resources
Exercises that help Growing Brains View Resources
Simple Indoor Cardio Exercises View Resources
San Joaquin County ParkRx Program Summary 2025 View PDF

Our Impact

PSE strategies have helped communities:

  • Expand access to healthy foods and beverages
  • Increase participation in farmers markets and nutrition incentive programs
  • Improve grocery store and retail environments
  • Strengthen partnerships between healthcare and community organizations
  • Build healthier schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods
  • Advance nutrition security and long-term community resilience