Resource Library

School facilities and grounds are integral components of public infrastructure that provide students with space to learn, socialize, and exercise. 

This Models and Guidelines document is intended for all parties involved in the public school facility planning and siting process as well as local land use officials. 

The purpose of this article is to present a case study of In-Motion, a JUA pilot project of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) implemented at Farrington High School (FHS) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This resource was developed to encourage the retention and development of community-centered schools in Pennsylvania.

Incorporating a health promotion approach in the design and development of the built environment can ease climate change and promote healthier living.

This study examines the associations between academic performance, cognitive functioning, and increased BMI in a nationally representative sample of children.

This study reviews the literature that examines the effects of exercise on children’s intelligence, cognition, or academic achievement.

• Results suggest that, in general, children who are overweight or obese have achievement test scores that are about the same as children with average weight.

Data analyzed in this study indicate that additional curricular emphasis on physical education may result in small absolute gains in grade point average and strongly suggest a relative increase in performance per unit of academic teaching time.

This policy brief focuses on the role that Joint Use agreements are playing in preserving and enhancing community-centered schools. 

This study assesses the effects of interventions to promote walking in individuals and populations by conducting a systematic review of published and unpublished reports in any language identified by searching 25 electronic databases, by searching websites, reference lists, and existing systematic reviews, and by contacting experts.

Two small lifestyle changes, as promoted by the America on the Move initiative, in diet (to eliminate 100 kcal/day) and physical activity (to walk an additional 2000 steps/day), could be useful for addressing childhood obesity by preventing excess weight gain in families.

National estimates suggest that 14%-19% of children walk to school while state and local estimates suggest that 4% to 20% of children walk to school.

The notion that children cannot achieve academic excellence without good health, a supportive social circle, and a safe environment seems common sense to families and educational policy makers alike. 

This paper examines how children’s travel to school is affected by school choice and providing bus service.

This study examines the relationship between relative weight and school attendance among 1,069 fourth to sixth graders from nine elementary schools in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA.

Financially disadvantaged populations are more likely to live in communities that do not support healthy choices. This paper investigates whether certain characteristics of the built environment are associated with obesity or coronary heart disease (CHD) risk among uninsured low-income women.

By quantifying the magnitude of energy imbalance responsible for the increase in body weight among US children, this study looks to provide salient targets for population intervention.

In 2003-2004, 17.1% of US children and adolescents were overweight.

This article examines single-use, low-density land use patterns and reports that a 5% increase in neighborhood walkability is associated with: