Align systems and providers to expand sports after school and in the summer In Oakland, community sports providers, OUSD and the parks and rec department often don’t view themselves as one sector in order to benefit children. They compete for the same children, field spaces, funds, and other resources, so they operate in silos. When collaboration does occur, it’s usually due to individual relationships as opposed to fully aligned systems that people and organizations can plug into. Building systems will take time and require community organizing efforts. For example, Positive Coaching Alliance’s Racial Equity and Access Youth Sports Task Force is attempting to articulate the community’s shared vision for children of color to access sports. CITY-LEVEL AGENCIES Centralize and standardize how community partners offer programming Sports programming at schools is too often determined on a school-by-school basis instead of providing schools with top-down menu options and logistical support. School leaders say their best community partnerships occur when they have been vetted by the district and pushed down to see if schools are interested. Community school managers (CSMs), though often overwhelmed with responsibilities, could work with OUSD to seek partnerships with sports/physical activity community providers and funding opportunities. At mature, OUSD full- service community schools, the CSM operates as a school-level administrator who manages, leads and coordinates partnerships to support school and student needs.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS Think creatively to fund PE and reach more students
Financial support for PE can’t be counted on from OUSD. Facing a $50 million budget deficit, the school district plans to close, consolidate, and merge 11 schools over the next two years. Funding PE will need creative solutions from community partners and other sources. One good resource is the SPARK Grant-Finder Tool, which helps locate funding for PE, after-school, early childhood, classroom activity, or coordinated school health programs. Grants can be used for curriculum, teacher training, or equipment. Pro sports teams periodically fund recreational sports programming within Oakland based on their particular sport. The more impactful idea would be subsidizing PE teachers throughout the Bay Area from ticket or concession sales and the teams’ corporate sponsors. The teams could use their platform to encourage their fans to participate in fundraising. “Because PE is so lacking and actually touches all students, it’s the one opportunity to really move the needle on population health in terms of physical activity,” said Hannah Thompson, an epidemiologist at Cal-Berkeley who has studied PE and youth physical activity in Oakland.
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PROJECT PLAY — AN INITIATIVE OF THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
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