Physical Activity

Trainings

State and Federal Guidance

Laws

Introduction

Physical activity has a positive impact on both academic success and health. Regular participation in physical activity is associated with improved academic performance. Physical activity also plays an important role in reducing the obesity epidemic, in combination with healthy food options. Thirty-three percent of California's youth are overweight or obese. Overweight children are at a greater risk of developing chronic health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and heart disease, and face major health consequences in the future.

The California Department of Education (CDE), the California After School Resource Center (CASRC), and a statewide Expert Panel developed ten strategies to help after school programs create high-quality physical activity programming that expands learning opportunities of the school-day. These strategies were developed as a result of the vision reflected in Senate Bill (SB) 638 (Senators Torlakson and Ashburn, 2006, Chapter 380). SB 638 required the CDE to develop physical activity strategies for CDE-funded after school programs. CDE-funded programs include the state-funded After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program, and the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) and the 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Programs.

Tips, Tools, and Resources for After School Physical Activity
As after school staff, you have the power to make daily physical activity accessible and engaging for every student and to help all youth in after school programs discover the many benefits and joys of physical activity. As you explore these Web pages, you will find tips, tools, and resources for all ten physical activity strategies. The tips can help secure facilities and equipment, build partnerships with schools, create physical activity that fosters youth development, and much more. The tools and resources come from a variety of leading physical activity organizations, and they are all in easy-to-use formats. The tips, tools, and resources these Web pages can help the physical activity strategies become reality in your after school program.

Links to Tips, Tools, and Resources for the Ten Physical Activity Strategies:

1. Youth Development: Create an after school-physical activity culture that fosters youth development.
2. Policy: Develop and implement after school physical activity policies.
3. Planning and Evaluation: Plan and evaluate after school physical activity.
4. Infrastructure: Build and maintain a strong infrastructure for after school physical activity.
   • Facilities and Equipment
   • Safety and Subtainability
   • Tools and Resources and Self-Assessment Questions
5. Director and Staff Involvement: Ensure all directors and staff support and promote physical activity after school.
6. Quality: Develop and maintain high-quality after school physical activity.
7. Quantity: Ensure all students achieve the appropriate amounts of physical activity after school.
8. Inclusion: Ensure all students are included in after school physical activity.
9. Regular-School Day: Connect after school physical activity with the regular-school day.
10. Community: Build partnerships with the community to support after school physical activity.

Thank you to the members of the After School Physical Activity Steering Committee (PDF file) for helping to develop these tips, tools, and resources.

Back to the Physical Activity main page