JUGAR- Joint Use Generating Activity and Recreation
The availability of safe, accessible recreation space is critical to an individual’s ability to live a healthy, active life. In many of our low income, urban communities, safe recreation space is virtually non-existent for a variety of reasons including violence in local parks, lack of open space, and crumbling infrastructure at local recreation facilities, to name just a few. Schools offer an incredible opportunity to increase access to recreation facilities and provide safe, local places for youth and their families to engage in an active, healthy lifestyle.
As part of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's RENEW (Renewing Environments for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness) Initiative, ABC will partner with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to combat the obesity epidemic by working to improve the process and coordination for accessing school sites during after school and weekend hours. The JUGAR project aims to facilitate greater physical activity by increasing access to safe, attractive recreation spaces through improved implementation and coordination of Joint-Use agreements within LAUSD.
ABC will work with two pilot communities, Boyle Heights and Pico Union, to create and implement an improved joint use process within the School District. This newly streamlined joint use process will:
1) Increase ACCESS to safe places for physical activity through utilization of Joint-Use agreements in LAUSD;
2) PROMOTE schools as safe, accessible recreation destinations’
3) Coordinate and stream line school and community partnerships with SUPPORT SERVICES to promote physical activity at school sites.
Through the JUGAR project, all schools and communities within LAUSD will be able to more easily utilize joint use as a tool for accessing their local school sites as a destination for recreation to promote a safe, healthy, and active lifestyle.
- Developed and implemented Student Wellness Policies at the Los Angeles and Montebello Unified School Districts to increase awareness and education about healthy behaviors
- Coordinated Joint Use Agreements between the community and LAUSD’s new schools to increase opportunities for physical activity in high density areas of Los Angeles that lack parks and green space
- Collaborated with advocates, organizers, administrators and academic advisors to develop a 17 credit certificate program in Health Advocacy and Leadership Development (HALD) at LA Trade Tech.