October Meeting: Empowering Children and Families to Enjoy Physical Activity

Physical activity and play are important elements of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Sharon Ross, an assistant professor of health and physical activity in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, will provide an overview of the benefits of physical activity and play, what federal guidelines recommend regarding daily physical activity for children, and tips and best for how families can be active together across age groups. University of Pittsburgh doctoral candidate Ariana Brazier will discuss play deprivation and its relationship to Black children by exploring the stages of play and the ways that Black children are deprived of critical and developmental play opportunities, as well as the use of play to respond to and protest against institutionalized racism. Participants will also discuss facilitators and barriers to play in their own lives and engage in an active play break while considering different ways to challenge play deprivation in early childhood settings.

Meet the Speakers

Sharon Ross, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of health and physical activity in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Ross received her Ph.D. in biobehavioral health from the Pennsylvania State University, where her training under Dr. Lori Francis focused on the biobehavioral mechanisms surrounding the etiology and development of childhood obesity in low-income, minoritized populations. Following this, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Russ Pate in the Children’s Physical Research Group in the Department of Exercise Science in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. There, she received training in measurement of physical activity in children and intervention design, implementation and evaluation. Dr. Ross’ research focuses on physical activity promotion and child obesity prevention in children and youth, particularly Latinx children. She has served as the P.I. on federally-funded studies examining the effectiveness of culturally-tailored, home- and community-based intervention programs promoting a healthy lifestyle in Latinx children of immigrants and their families.

Ariana Brazier is a doctoral candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research considers Black children, housing insecurity and play. She conducts in-field ethnographic research in Atlanta, Georgia with students and families at three of Atlanta’s most underprivileged schools. Ariana has instructed college composition courses rooted in social consciousness and community activism and focused on poverty and race. She is a teaching assistant for the Children & Culture course, which offers students knowledge about philosophical approaches to childhood from various fields, their social and cultural implications, and the cultural and political histories that engendered contemporary forms of childhood. Ariana is the co-founder of the nonprofit ATL Parent Like A Boss, Inc. which works to empower parents and their families by providing culturally responsive and tangible support as well as development opportunities for healthy community growth.

Directions and Parking

This meeting will take place in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) Classroom which is located on the facility’s first floor. The main Conservatory entrance will be closed, as this meeting takes place after normal hours; to access the CSL, follow Frew Street (located between the Oakland/Schenley Park bridge and the Christopher Columbus statue), which will take you around the Conservatory to the lower campus. Guest parking spaces are available on your left as you approach the CSL.