The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative: Changing Community Norms and Improving Opportunities for Physical Activity

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative, with training and technical assistance from the National League of Cities and the Children and Nature Network, aims to transform the grounds of two elementary schools into nature-filled greenspaces. Using a community-schools model, several critical needs were identified. These include: (1) opportunities for outdoor learning; (2) improved outdoor play experiences; and (3) safe, welcoming spaces to connect with nature outside of school hours. Both schools serve low-income, predominately African American communities. Each school is centrally located in a walkable neighborhood, but residents in these neighborhoods have limited access to city parks within walking distance. The communities surrounding these schools are disproportionately affected by cardiometabolic conditions linked to inadequate physical activity and obesity. For the children, more opportunity for active learning and play may increase physical activity which has been shown to be beneficial for cardiometabolic profiles of children and may help address obesity-related health disparities. These health disparities are already evident in children in the two neighborhoods being impacted by this city-led program with higher proportions of severe obesity by 4th grade (body mass index exceeding 120% of the 95th percentile) than other schools in the city and state. The goal of this study is to explore the pathways through which green schoolyard improvements can reduce the development of obesity- related health disparities, as well as improve academic outcomes and community well-being. A growing literature on the health benefits of greener environments suggests that physical activity, air quality, sleep, and social behaviors are intertwined pathways that may protect against excess weight gain. Data will be collected on outcomes related to these pathways before, during, and after the green schoolyard transformations from children in the two program schools and in comparable non-program schools within the Little Rock School District. The study is designed to understand how these pathways work in combination and whether greener schoolyards influence patterns of play in ways that improve opportunities for physical activity among children who are at greater risk for developing severe obesity. Community and school-level barriers to implementation of the green schoolyard intervention will also be identified to inform future initiatives. Another strength of this study lies in the fact that there will be different dimensions to the greenspace improvements across the two schools. This allows for a richer understanding of how characteristics of the greenspace and differences in implementation affect these pathways. The lessons learned from Little Rock’s green schoolyards program will inform pragmatic and cost-effective interventions that slow the growth of severe childhood obesity in communities across the United States and reduce obesity-related health disparities.