The Pueblo City-County Health Department is partnering with the University of Texas at Austin to implement this project in Pueblo County. The project aims to increase the amount of time elementary school-aged children engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity during the school day.
 

Strategy
The project uses three strategies:

1. 10-20 minute peer-led or teacher-led activity game
2. breaks.
3. Enhancement
4. of play areas with loco-motor patterns and academic-related playground markings to support “active learning”.
5. Brain break activities during subject transition time.

The project staff use several evidence-based data collection techniques to track changes in activity levels from pre to post project implementation including accelerometers and Systems for Observing Fitness Instruction Time During Recess and Structured Activity Break Time (SOFIT-R). Project staff will also assess height and weight to determine if increased physical activity during the school day will have an impact on childhood obesity rates in Pueblo County. Project staff will train teachers to implement and utilize the games and tools to create a healthy and active learning environment.
 
Benefits
Austin Independent School District had great results within their schools with the Active Play Project. Besides seeing an increase in physical activity minutes and activity level, it also decreased classroom behavior issues and increased leadership skills among the students. One of the greatest things about this project is it is completely sustainable once it is implemented. The teachers will have the skills and tools to implement the activity breaks and the playground markings will be on the playgrounds indefinitely for every teacher and student to use each year. This project comes to Pueblo at a great time as Governor Hickenlooper recently signed House Bill 1069 into law, requiring elementary schools to give students the equivalent of 30 minutes of physical activity opportunity per day.

For more information please contact Miranda Stovall at (719) 583-4525 or stovall@co.pueblo.co.us
The Colorado Active Learning Project is funded by the Colorado Health Foundation.

Location