Active Play Areas Frequently Asked Questions
What types of active play spaces will you fund?
Active play spaces include playgrounds, sports fields (e.g. a soccer field), outdoor fitness stations, walking/running paths or trails, fitness rooms or centers and other similar spaces that are designed to promote play and other forms of physical activity. This includes field/ground designs or markings that facilitate games and other forms of movement.
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Does the Foundation have specific guidelines for how an active play area must be designed?
The Foundation does not have specific guidelines for how an active play area must be designed. The active play area should follow general guidelines for safety and accessibility, have a design that is age- and developmentally-appropriate for the population that will use the space and contain equipment or structures that promote play and other forms of moderate or vigorous physical activity. If you have questions or need technical assistance with planning and designing the active play area, please e-mail Monica Lyle, associate program officer or call 303.953.3667.
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Who can I ask if I have questions about developing the proposal and budget?
For questions and technical support regarding your application, please e-mail questions to Monica Lyle, associate program officer or call 303.953.3667. The Foundation is contracting with Learning Landscapes, a program at the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning, to support districts in developing proposals and budgets, as well as to assist with technical support with grantees. Interested districts will be put in touch with this resource.
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How will grants be evaluated?
At a minimum, funded districts must report on the number of children who have access to the active play area. Additional evaluation is encouraged, but not required. Additional evaluation tools could include surveys with users of the active play space, before and after photographs of the space and measurements of physical activity through use of the space.
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What is the recommended amount of physical activity time for children and adolescents?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 60 minutes of physical activity every day for children and adolescents. The majority of the 60 minutes should involve moderate to vigorous activity.
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What is moderate physical activity?
For moderate-intensity physical activity, a person's target heart rate should be 50 to 70 percent of his or her maximum heart rate. Moderate physical activity refers to activities equivalent in intensity to brisk walking or bicycling.
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What is vigorous physical activity?
For vigorous-intensity physical activity, a person's target heart rate should be 70 to 85 percent of his or her maximum heart rate. Vigorous physical activity produces large increases in breathing or heart rate, such as jogging, aerobic dance or bicycling uphill.
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Can my district apply for the physical education quality improvement funding opportunity and the active play areas funding opportunity at the same time?
Yes, the Foundation encourages districts to apply for any health and wellness activities that have been identified as priorities. The Foundation promotes overall healthy schools, as outlined in the Healthy Schools strategy.
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What other funding opportunities do you have to support healthy schools?
School districts and other nonprofit organizations are welcome to submit proposals that best meet their needs AND align with the Foundation's strategies. In addition, the Foundation is looking for applications in the following areas: