Development of outdoor learning environments at elementary and middle schools in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

ABSTRACT

When new schools are built in the United States, they are often constructed on large parcels of land in suburban areas to account for the building footprint and automobile parking. Even if the school may be near residential neighbourhoods, there may still not be good connectivity of sidewalks and trails for students to walk and bicycle to school, relying on school buses and family automobiles, contributing to traffic and pollution. Therefore, there is a need to increase physical activity for students while they are at the school site besides traditional physical education classes. Outdoor active learning environments can address education standards across a variety of subjects such as physical education, science, history, math, and social studies and allow students to experience nature. There are options for schools located in non-walkable or non-bikeable areas to increase physical activity for students, faculty/staff and open community use by the public. This case study describes a process where schools in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA, applied for a mini-grant to get a site plan to develop outdoor physical activity learning environments at the schools and success stories of plan implementation as well as challenges that could benefit other communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Schools
• classrooms
• nature
• physical activity

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Mr. Woody Keen of Trail Wisdom LLC for his workshop facilitation, The Dodd Studio, for developing the site plans, and the following Rock Hill teachers and principals: Ms. Caleigh Pigg, Ms. Pattie Starnes, Ms. Emily Anderson, and Mr. Chip Newton.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This program was supported by the Healthy South Carolina Initiative, a Community Transformation Grant funded through the Prevention Fund of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Notes on contributors

Janet R. Wojcik

Janet R. Wojcik, Ph.D., FACSM, is an associate professor and Program Director of Exercise Science in the Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Performance at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, Grants Chair of Eat Smart Move More York County, and a member of the York County Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force.

Thomas Bell

Thomas Bell, B.S., is Outdoor Recreation Supervisor for the City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department. He is a member of the York County Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force and Eat Smart Move More York County.

Danielle Center

Danielle Center, MPH, MCHES, was the Project Coordinator for Eat Smart Move More York County. She is currently the Executive Director with Keystone Substance Abuse Services in Rock Hill, SC.

Nicole McAden

Nicole McAden, B.S., was the Senior School Outreach Coordinator – Upstate Territory for South Carolina Safe Routes to School Resource Center. She is currently the Greenlink Transit Marketing and Public Affairs Specialist for the City of Greenville, SC.