Today, Let’s Move! Active Schools—part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative—announced the addition of Playworks as one of nine new partners.
“We are thrilled to team up with Playworks,” said Charlene Burgeson, Let’s Move! Active Schools Executive Director. “As a leader in the physical education and physical activity space, Playworks will strengthen the Let’s Move! Active Schools national collaborative’s ability to reach and engage schools, ultimately inspiring more educational, fun and sustainable Active School environments.”
Joining the national collaborative is a natural fit for Playworks, whose core values include healthy community and healthy play. The national collaborative is dedicated to ensuring that 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools across the country. It uses the collective impact framework, which is designed to address major social problems that cannot be solved by any single organization because they require large-scale social change.
Playworks is proud to be part of this new group of partners working in diverse and innovative ways to increase physical activity in schools. All partners work together to help K-12 schools create an Active School environment where students participate in at least 60 minutes of before, during and after school physical activity each day, thus gaining significant health and academic benefits. Partners will contribute in a variety of ways:
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A World Fit for Kids! will offer its Mentors in Motion physical activity professional development.
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Activity Works will provide 500 grants for elementary schools to use its technology platform for classroom-based physical activity breaks.
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Association for Middle Level Education will support physical education and physical activity in schools across its network of school leaders and teachers.
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CATCH Global Foundation will fund two district grant packages of curriculum and training to implement evidence-based physical activity and health programs.
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Ergotron will provide LearnFit Adjustable Desks as progress incentives to schools implementing physical education and physical activity best practices.
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National Foundation on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition will offer Presidential Youth Fitness Program grants for fitness education and assessment in physical education.
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PlayCore will provide progress incentives and discounts for outdoor play structures, climbing walls, bike racks and storage, and programs.
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Sqord will provide progress incentives and discounts for its fitness platform and products that gamify physical activity for kids.
Playworks will contribute by administering a new grant program to deliver its Power of Play training at Let’s Move! Active Schools, with a goal of bringing safe and healthy play to more children across the country.
The Playworks Power of Play training is a half-day workshop that lays the foundation for creating a safe, healthy, and respectful environment in schools. Playworks will train schools enrolled in Let’s Move! Active Schools that have completed a baseline assessment of physical education and physical activity best practices.
“Playworks improves the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, healthy play,” said Elizabeth Cushing, Playworks President and Chief Operating Officer. “We’re honored to join Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! Active Schools national collaborative, and look forward to jointly helping more kids develop social and emotional skills through play so they can be the citizens of tomorrow.”
