Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 15 Checklist Identify community and school needs. To assess the community’s needs for additional recreational opportunities, identify: Underserved communities (such as lower-income communities lacking neighborhood parks and community centers) Unmet recreation or physical activity needs, including assessing health problems among schoolchildren that could be addressed by more physical activity Locations in the community where recreation and physical activity needs can be met by school facilities The types of recreation facilities required to meet these needs (e.g., outdoor vs. indoor) The time of day that access is needed (e.g., weekend, evening) To assess school needs, identify: Students’ unmet physical education and recreation needs (ones the city might meet) Facility needs (for improvements, maintenance support, scheduling assistance) Identify potential properties. Inventory facilities to determine what is available. Assess the suitability of these properties for joint use, taking into consideration the condition of the property and the degree of support from local families and school personnel. Identify the facilities that best serve unmet needs (by location, facility type, or other factor), and describe the facilities, structures, equipment, and other resources to be shared. Describe the services and programs the joint use project will provide. Identify partner organizations. Identify the organizations and nonprofits – such as YMCAs and sports leagues – that would benefit from use of the facilities, and then build relationships with them, perhaps inviting them to sit on a joint use task force or participate in the negotiations. Build relationships with the appropriate decision makers. Identify supportive decision makers (school board members, city council members, other public officials) and build relationships with them. Work with them to assess whether other important decision makers support or oppose joint use, and figure out a strategy for winning over any potential allies. In other words, find out who your allies are, and mobilize them to get others on board. Make sure the concept is approved. The school board and the governing entity of the city, county, or town should first approve the concept of developing a joint use agreement.* Appealing to these entities’ interests – and ensuring those interests will be represented in the joint use agreement – is critical to securing this approval. Select negotiators. Identify the employees from each partner entity who will be responsible for developing the agreement. They should be knowledgeable about the facilities and proposed programs, and they should have enough experience to develop informed recommendations on behalf of their organization. * Depending on the state and locality, a city, county, or town could enter into a joint use agreement with a school district or community college district. For purposes of this document, we will use “city” to refer to the local government and “district” to refer to the school or community college district.
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