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Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Joint Use Moving People to Play (JUMPP)

Pictures Courtesy of the US Soccer Foundation, Los Angeles

VISION: ALL LOS ANGELES COUNTY YOUTH AND FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE RECREATION SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ENCOURAGE ACTIVE RECREATION AT LOCAL SCHOOLS

Los Angeles County is home to more than a quarter of California’s residents, but for many of those residents, safe places to play in and around their neighborhoods are limited or nonexistent. By establishing joint use agreements between schools, cities and communities, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) will collaborate with schools and other partners to open up school grounds and facilities for Los Angeles residents to be physically active.

A Community Putting Prevention to Work

In 2010, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Communities Putting Prevention to Work” (CPPW) initiative, DPH launched Renew Environments for Nutrition, Exercise & Wellness in Los Angeles County (RENEW LA County), a two year project focused on policy, system-level and environmental changes to prevent chronic disease, improve nutrition and increase physical activity among all children and adults in the county. As part of this effort, RENEW established a joint use task force, Joint Use Moving People to Play (JUMPP), comprised of community-based organizations, government institutions, numerous school district representatives and public health agencies, to increase physical activity opportunities by providing LA County youth and families with safe places to play and be active. Specifically, JUMPP works to:

Promote local school sites as safe destinations for recreation and physical activity
Encourage physical activity among all youth and families
Provide tools and resources that promote physical education and activity for educators, families and students
Support partnerships between school districts, public agencies, private companies and community-based organizations to increase the availability of recreation space and facilities at local school sites
Offer technical assistance and capacity building trainings to school administrators regarding joint use as a strategy to increase physical activity
Foster collaboration between different partners and stakeholders
Collect, analyze and disseminate data

Successes and Opportunities to Advance Joint Use

Since its formation, seven school districts in LA County have agreed to approve 16 joint use agreements aimed at increasing physical activity for students and families in their districts. In addition, 72 schools in the county have undergone extensive physical education staff development training for more than 100 teachers, primarily in elementary schools where the need is greatest.

Opportunities to advance joint use continue to spring up across LA County. This year, Pomona Unified School District has strengthened an existing agreement with the Pomona Valley YMCA’s Kids Sports Program. In the future, Compton Unified School District may see a district swim program, an urban trail and reciprocal use of a LA County pool and a district tennis court. In the City of El Monte, there are three school districts that have come together to develop similar wellness and joint use enabling policies. One of the districts is investigating a new sports program for youth that will open access for community residents, while another district is formalizing a district wide “open gates” policy.

Resources:

Contact JUMPP: Mikaela Randolph mirandolph@ph.lacounty.gov

Read about JUMPP Mission Vision and Goals

View the Los Angeles County School District Health Fact Sheets:

Listen to “A Year in Review: Highlights from 4 Communities Working to Advance Joint Use” webinar