Welcome to the Physical Activity Research Center’s Website
We are very excited to welcome you to our website for the Physical Activity Research Center, or PARC, as we like to call ourselves.
PARC is a collaboration of four leading universities funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to build the evidence base for policy changes and practices that will help make physical activity part of everyday life for all American children, with a special focus on children who typically have fewer opportunities to be active.
On the PARC website, you’ll find project profiles on the four main studies of PARC as well as on several commissioned studies that are intended to help address the evidence needs of physical activity advocates who are transforming communities across the nation to make it easier for everyone to be active. Please check back often to find updates on each of the studies or follow PARC on social media.
Our site also provides the PARC research agenda, which was produced in 2016 with input from experts across many sectors and disciplines and is the basis for the four main PARC studies. In the Spring of 2018 we’ll be updating the research agenda in the hopes that researchers, advocates, and funders may be encouraged to generate new studies to help address the epidemic of physical inactivity among our youth as well as inequitable access to physical activity. If you’d like to contribute to updating the research agenda, please contact the PARC Coordinating Center.
Later in 2018, research results from all the studies initiated under PARC will be available. We’re planning an array of communication resources that include not only research briefs, but infographics, toolkits, and helpful resources from community partners. Our blog will also provide timely updates on each of the studies, so please subscribe to the PARC mailing list at the bottom of this page.
We often get the question if PARC is the new name for Active Living Research (ALR). The answer is NO. But research is the backbone of both programs and an important part of the public debate about how to maintain healthy environments for kids and families. The difference is that PARC is focused on conducting research, specifically on children. ALR, a leading resource for physical activity and the built environment, is focused more broadly on all populations. Today, ALR no longer generates new research, but does continue to share resources from a variety of collaborators.
For all of us at PARC, there is no greater joy than seeing kids being physically active in all kinds of settings. We know the benefits are many-fold and we look forward to connecting with you to ensure that all kids have access to opportunities to move.
Nisha Botchwey and Jim Sallis
Co-Directors of PARC