courts, swimming pools, locker rooms, and multi-use rooms, as well as gardens and kitchens. These facilities are often underused after school hours and on weekends and holidays. Shared use of public school facilities doesn’t just benefit residents and communities; it also has the potential to benefit school districts. Shared use can create deeper connections between schools and the community, widening the circle of “ownership” beyond just those with direct links to schools. Shared use also has the potential to broaden public support for funding to improve existing school facilities or build new ones. Other Public Property Public property is a common asset shared by all. Availability of public property is different in every community. Local government entities and agencies in particular are potential allies in expanding recreational access to public property. Promising yet often-overlooked owners of public land that may be appropriate for community recreation include universities and community colleges, utility districts, cooperative extension offices, senior centers and community centers, and the military. Meeting Community Needs with Shared Use Successful shared use arrangements often include many stakeholders: property owners, partners, and community users. Effective shared use arrangements are grounded in strong working relationships. Before implementing shared use, the parties involved must evaluate community wants, needs, and priorities. Meaningful community engagement ensures that shared use efforts identify and focus on locations, facilities, and programming that are most important to residents. A task force or working group can help cultivate and manage these important relationships and activities. By working together to create partnerships, everyone involved can help shared use successfully meet community needs. Dancing Toward Health in Salt Lake County, UT Nearly a quarter of the 60,000 Tongan Americans in the United States live in Salt Lake County, Utah. A survey by the locally based National Tongan-American Society (NTAS) found low rates of physical activity among the county’s Tongan Americans, caused by 2 key culprits. First, most did not have access to physical activity resources like gym memberships, exercise equipment, or even sidewalks. Second, they preferred to exercise with other people, but there were few affordable options for group activity. NTAS created a shared use initiative to address these needs. The organization worked with school principals, faith leaders, and local decisionmakers to open 12 schools and congregations across the county for open use and free Zumba® and hula classes. The Zumba® classes, reaching up to 140 people each, have been particularly popular, attracting large and diverse groups. 10 Shared Use | changelabsolutions.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTkzMzk=