Springboard to Active Schools

Status: Current
Year: 2016
Location: National
Client: Government organizations
Services Provided: Policy & Health Systems Improvement
Technical Expertise: Healthy Eating, Active Living


About Active School Environments

With over 50 million students enrolled in grades K-12 nationally, schools are critical settings to promote physical education and physical activity (PE/PA). National guidelines recommend that elementary and secondary school-age youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Research demonstrates that physically active students have better health and educational outcomes, and also improve school climate. Despite studies citing the numerous benefits of physically active young people, most do not engage in the recommended levels of 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

Our Approach

Springboard to Active Schools provides support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded state departments of health and education in promoting active school environments in schools and school districts across the country. Springboard to Active Schools supports these states in addressing their PE/PA priorities by:

  • Hosting in-person and virtual training and technical assistance opportunities to support the implementation of active school environments;
  • Developing and disseminating new and existing tools and resources; and,
  • Convening an Advisory Council, building partnerships, and engaging state and national subject matter experts and strategic partners to support overall programmatic efforts.

For more information, visit www.schoolspringboard.org.

To learn about the state of recess in schools in the United States, and identify key policies and practices that school districts and schools can put in place, read our data brief, “Keep Recess in Schools.

Springboard to Active Schools is an initiative of the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and Health Resources in Action (HRiA) through Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-DP16-1601 (NU1ADP003094) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).