The PARK Central Valley Recess Study

Who we are

Physical Activity Research in Kinesiology (PARK) is a research program in the Department of Kinesiology at CSU Fresno. PARK provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in meaningful and timely physical activity research. We strive to collect valid and reliable data that can be useful for informing efforts to increase physical activity among children in the Central Valley region and beyond. Your donation will help support costs for undergraduate and graduate student travel to school sites and time for data collection including: (a) stipends to pay student data collectors for training and time spent collecting data; (b) funds to support costs associated with data entry and management (c) funds to cover costs for supplies (e.g., paper-pencil forms; envelopes, clipboards; y-jacks for paired observations; funds to cover costs for incentives to promote school participation).

Background

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Schools play an important role in health promotion by providing a myriad of opportunities for children to be active throughout the school day. Recess is really important. It provides children with opportunities to take physical activity breaks throughout the school day so they can run, play, have fun, and prepare to focus during academic learning time. 

In 2023, California Senate Bill 291 was enacted, mandating that local education agencies that offer recess provide at least 30 minutes on regular instructional days and 15 minutes on early release days. We really don’t know much about recess in Central Valley schools.

Our Purpose

The purpose of the PARK Central Valley Recess Study is to learn more about children’s physical activity during recess time in Central Valley schools. 

Value Added

This research will improve our understanding about how active children are in recess in the Central Valley. This research will help us identify success stories and set goals for improvement. Our undergraduate and graduate students are eager to play a role. We are striving to create a model for other regions of California.