Better Recess for a Better School Experience: West Philadelphia Recess Initiative

Introduction

As a district focused intently on improving standardized test scores, the School District of Philadelphia has many elementary schools where time for outdoor play is limited, and where students do not have adequate access to high-quality recess. West Philadelphia Recess Initiative, a partnership of the University of Pennsylvania and two elementary schools in the School District of Philadelphia, responds to children’s need for recess and play during the school day, which provides health, academic and social benefits for the students. Through this program, University of Pennsylvania students assist lunchtime aides during recess periods at Lea and Wilson Schools in West Philadelphia, helping to make recess more organized and fun for the children, while concurrently giving undergraduate students a new perspective on urban education.

The Problem: Too Little Time for Recess

At Henry C. Lea Elementary School and Alexander Wilson Elementary School in West Philadelphia, as well as in the School District of Philadelphia overall, there has been too little time devoted to children’s recess during the school day, leaving students with fewer opportunities to exercise, play and participate in fun and organized outdoor activities. Often, these under-resourced schools are overwhelmed with the number of children they have to manage during lunch each day, and do not have enough staff or support to allow all students to have adequate recess time. Concerns about schoolyard conflicts and disciplinary issues compound the issue. In addition, there has been an overall need to simply improve the lunchroom environment. In some schools, children only get a few minutes, if any time at all, to play outside, depriving them of the full chance to play, expend their energy, and engage in physical and social activities outside.

The Solution: West Philadelphia Recess Initiative

A partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and Henry Lea and Alexander Wilson Elementary Schools in West Philadelphia, West Philadelphia Recess Initiative is a program that recruits undergraduate volunteer, service learning and work-study students to organize games and activities during recess at Lea and Wilson Schools, so that the children have a pleasant recess where exercise is maximized and bullying is minimized. The idea originally grew out of a political science service-learning course taught by University of Pennsylvania professor Mary Summers, who wanted to partner with school staff and colleagues at the Graduate School of Education (GSE) to develop school-based placements for her students that would help them understand issues in urban education. Working with Christopher Dean, a GSE graduate student who facilitated the development of a local school health council, she found that recess was a time when local elementary schools could use students’ support. Professor Summers continues to partner with Dr. Caroline Watts, a GSE faculty member, in supporting the Recess Initiative.

Managed by Penn’s Office of Community School Student Partnerships, West Philadelphia Recess Initiative places undergraduate students under the supervision of a school-based recess supervisor at Lea and Wilson Schools on weekdays to help organize recess activities and assist the lunchtime staff in handling the children during recess (teachers do not work with students during lunch). The undergraduates make sure every child is lined up to go outside and go back inside, organize games for the children, and respond to the children’s and aides’ needs at recess. Their assistance is of tremendous help to the school staff, who have many responsibilities and students to juggle during the lunch hours. (Lea, located at 47th and Sansom Streets, has three different recesses, while Wilson, located at 46th Street and Woodland Avenue, has two.)

The initiative is impactful in many ways. With the organized games that children play at recess, not only do students get to have more fun, but there are also fewer incidents of conflict and injuries on the playground. “A fair amount of research says that having organized games and things to do is key. . . .The amount of bullying and fighting that decreases is quite extraordinary,” reports Summers. With more eyes on the elementary school students, lunchtime aides can feel more comfortable giving them more time outdoors. And with more hands, the staff is able to transition students more quickly to and from lunch and recess, making the entire process more efficient.

Previously, students as young as five years old were only getting about five minutes outside. Summers reports that research indicates that 20 minutes of recess time is the minimum amount of time needed to make a positive difference in children’s behavior during the school day. Now, with the Penn undergraduates participating in this program five days a week at the two schools—each student usually works one or two days a week—the children are better able to get the most out of their 40-minute lunch period by spending 20 minutes eating their lunch and 20 minutes playing outside. Additionally, anecdotal evidence from the school nurses suggests there have been fewer fights since the initiative began.

The undergraduate students are forming good relationships with the children, creating a bond and sense of mutual trust. If the children have developed a good connection with the Penn students, recess time becomes more enjoyable and functions more smoothly for everyone.