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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Russell Lopez, MCRP ScD and Richard Campbell, ScD. School of Public Health, Boston University, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 2e, Boston, MA 02118, 617 414-1439, rptlopez@bu.edu

There is a critical need in many communities to improve active living spaces in schools and neighborhoods. Active environments can help to address a number of critical issues, including childhood obesity, school learning, and neighborhood revitalization. In 1996, the Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI)) was introduced as an innovative public-private partnership in response to a citywide problem of degraded and dangerous play spaces. Funded by city/school funds and private foundations, each individual project is a multi-year effort that costs up to $200,000 and is tailored to the needs of each school. About half of Boston's public schools have been renovated to date and the projects have reached every neighborhood and demographic group. Prior to a project's start, schoolyards have typically been poorly maintained spaces with inferior (or no) equipment and broken asphalt utilized for parking rather than recreation. After renovation, schoolyards range from passive greenspaces to active outdoor classrooms. Most include new play equipment.

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research program, a case study of the BSI has been developed. Several important lessons have been learned by the BSI that are applicable to other communities interested in similar types of programs:

Successful coalition building takes time and is founded on the development of a shared vision by all stakeholders.

Coalitions should include people and organizations both inside and outside the schools.

Redeveloping schoolyards are opportunities to improve entire neighborhoods and to hone improvements in social capital and civic engagement.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Understand the challenges and opportunities for both educational and neighborhood environments presented by school recreational facilities.
• 2. Describe the process of community based public private partnerships for redeveloping schoolyards
• 3. Identify the benefits of redeveloping schoolyards as active living environments.

Keywords: School Health, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered