At a glance
- School physical activity programs are more successful when family and community members are involved.
- When schools, families, and communities work together to increase physical activity, they also improve youth learning and health.
- CDC works to support family and community engagement.
Overview
Family and community engagement in physical activity happens when parents, school staff, out-of-school time providers, and community members work together to support opportunities for physical activity before, during, and after the school day. These efforts improve the learning, development, and health of children and adolescents.
Family and community engagement benefits students by:
- Improving grades and test scores.
- Encouraging better student behavior.
- Enhancing social skills.
- Increasing physical activity.
What CDC is doing
Supporting family and community engagement in physical activity
CDC developed the following:
- Parents for Healthy Schools—Provides resources schools can use to engage parents in positively changing the school environment regarding physical activity.
- Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health—Defines and describes engagement between parents and school staff. The document also identifies strategies for all three aspects of parent engagement in schools: connect, engage, and sustain.
- Promoting Parent Engagement in School Health: A Facilitator's Guide for Staff Development—Helps schools develop a plan for engaging parents in school health activities.
Content Source
Division of Adolescent and School Health; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
About This Page
Published: November 19, 2024
Updated: July 1, 2024
This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.
Reviewed: July 1, 2024
The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child: A Collaborative Approach to Learning and Health. 2014. Accessed August , 2026. www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/wholechild/wscc-a-collaborative-approach.pdf
- Lee SM, Harwell OR, Sliwa SA, et al. Transforming evidence into action: a commentary on school-based physical activity and nutrition intervention research. J Sch Health. 2023; 93: 864–870.
- Michael SL, Pitt Barnes S, Wilkins NJ. Scoping review of family and community engagement strategies used in school-based interventions to promote healthy behaviors. J Sch Health. 2023; 93: 828–841.