Increasing school-based physical activity and socioemotional learning for elementary students: studying the impact of a new California law mandating 30 minutes of daily recess in public schools (YEDI affiliated)
Hannah R. Thompson, Professor
Public Health
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
School recess is an evidence-backed approach to increase school-based opportunities for students to play, accrue necessary physical activity, and socialize with peers, to the benefit of their physical, academic, and socioemotional health. As such, the Centers for Disease Control recommend at least 20 min of daily recess in elementary schools. However, unequal provision of recess contributes to persistent health and academic disparities for students, which remain to be addressed.
For the upcoming 2024-25 school year, California SB 291 "Recess for All" will go into effect in public elementary schools across the state. The first bill of it's kind in the state, it will mandate elementary students receive 30 minutes of recess a day and it prohibits withholding recess as a punishment (a highly racialized practice). To evaluate whether schools actually make changes to their daily schedules to comply with this new law, we are assessing school websites to determine how many minutes of recess schools provided in the year before the law goes into effect (2023-24) and then how many they provide the first year of the law (2024-25).
This project is affiliated with the YEDI program. YEDI (Youth Equity Discovery Initiative) is a research apprenticeship and mentorship program that supplements your URAP/volunteer research work with weekly workshops in both Fall and Spring semesters. YEDI creates a cohort of undergraduate scholars (usually around 20-30, many from underrepresented backgrounds) that are working on youth equity research projects. The year-long program utilizes cascading mentorship, skill-building workshops, and professional development to provide supportive pathways into research careers, service, and leadership addressing adolescent inequities and well-being. Scholars greatly benefit from (and enjoy!) the extra training and support, as well as the professional development opportunities (including faculty guest speakers, graduate student and practitioner panels). The program culminates in a research symposium presentation at the end of the program. The 2024-2025 YEDI cohort will meet in-person in Berkeley Way West on Tuesdays from 4:30pm - 6:00pm beginning September 24, 2024. In order to take part in the YEDI program, you MUST be able to attend the in-person workshops at this time. As a YEDI scholar, you will sign up for a PH198 class and receive 1 unit. This is in addition to the units you are receiving for your URAP research project, independent research units or volunteer agreement. For any questions about YEDI, please contact Marieka Schotland at mschotland@berkeley.edu, visit our website here.
Role: - Gain skills in primary data collection and data entry and management
- Perform data entry involving screen shots of school website bell schedules into Microsoft Excel/ Google Sheets
- Visit school websites to take screen shots of school website bell schedules
- Perform basic, preliminary data analysis of school recess minutes
Qualifications: - Strong skills in Microsoft Excel/ Google Sheets;
- Interest in learning about data management and data entry;
- Interest in youth health and academic equity issues;
- Interest in research impact, translation of information;
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively;
- Ability to time manage and complete assignments on time;
- CITI training for social and behavioral research is required (we can assist with this process)
We value equity and inclusion, and highly encourages students from different backgrounds, identities and experiences to apply. We especially encourage LGBTQI+ students to apply.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Sydney Dougan, Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: All work can be done remotely
Biological & Health Sciences Social Sciences