Family and Community Involvement to Increase Physical Activity as Part of a CSPAP

Abstract

A comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) is a multi-component whole-school approach designed to assist schools in targeting opportunities for students to be more physically active and help students achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) each day. A CSPAP consists of five components (1) quality physical education as the foundation, (2) PA before and after school, (3) PA during school, (4) staff involvement, and (5) family and community engagement. While research is still emerging on family and community engagement as part of a CSPAP, family and community involvement has been researched extensively in education for decades and has shown many positive academic outcomes. Building on education's success with family and community engagement, this article uses Epstein's six types of involvement: (1) parenting (e.g., providing support and encouragement for PA), (2) communicating, (3) volunteering, (4) learning at home (e.g., PA homework and other curriculum-related activities), (5) decision-making (e.g., input from parents and community), and (6) collaborating with the community (e.g., forming partnerships) to describe successful programs. The article provides practical examples for increasing family and community engagement as a part of a CSPAP, to help schools develop strong school, family, and community partnerships that may be key in increasing youth PA opportunities.