A new community project is taking shape in Niles. Graduates of the Community Leadership Academy unveiled Four Flags Fit, an outdoor fitness club designed to bring residents together through shared physical activity, during a celebration Wednesday, July 29, at Apothica Teas in downtown Niles.
The club aims to give neighbors regular opportunities to be active together outdoors, with possibilities including walking, biking, skating, tennis, pickleball, and soccer. Cohort graduates Geneva Nneka Okeke and Deborah Fox presented the plan to a crowd of community members, families, and local leaders, capping off 13 weeks of leadership training, neighborhood assessment, and project development.
The celebration marked the completion of the second cohort of the Community Leadership Academy, a program led by Be Healthy Berrien and Corewell Health that equips residents with the skills, knowledge, and resources to create positive change in their neighborhoods. Emily Vilmure, supervisor of community programs for the Corewell Center for Wellness in Benton Harbor, led the cohort.
Following the presentation, Corewell Health presented the group with a $3,000 check to help bring the project to life.
Now the graduates are asking for input from their neighbors. A community survey invites Niles residents to share which activities they would like to see offered and whether they are interested in leading one. The survey is available at behealthyberrien.org.
The first Community Leadership Academy cohort graduated in Benton Harbor in December 2025 after developing a project focused on youth gun violence awareness. The Academy is funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund through a grant to United Way of Southwest Michigan, and the Niles cohort is part of a broader effort to expand the model across Berrien County.
