FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Kate Holmes, National Network of Public Health Institutes, (225) 500-1137, [email protected]
Lina Jew, Health Resources in Action, (617) 279-2214, [email protected]
Springboard to Active Schools Providing Resources to Help Schools Reimagine Physical Activity During COVID-19
Program Seeks to Help Public Health and Education Professionals Maintain Movement for Students and Staff During Pandemic
WASHINGTON, DC – Springboard to Active Schools, an initiative led by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and Health Resources in Action (HRiA), is working with a host of national partners to provide timely resources, materials, and training for education and public health professionals seeking to keep students healthy and active during the COVID-19 pandemic as children across the country return to school. For the past five years, the project, which is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Healthy Schools, has focused on creating environments that encourage students to be physically active.
Helping schools plan for ways for students to stay active through physical education and other opportunities for movement remains a vital part of the school day. Springboard to Active Schools is sharing strategies and practices schools can adopt for physical activity along with important information to keep students, teachers, and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our work has always been centered on improving the health of students across the country, as physical activity is a critical piece in helping students stay focused and engaged while also benefiting their academic performance,” said Kate Holmes, MPH, director of Springboard to Active Schools. “More than ever, keeping students active is going to be essential to the short- and long-term health of millions of students as they return to school either in-person or virtually. We have been extremely successful in building relationships and providing training to education and public health professionals over the past five years, and we are planning to use those networks to get the newest information out to schools to help them navigate keeping students physically active during this pandemic.”
Springboard to Active Schools has developed two new resources to help schools integrate classroom physical activity with a safety, inclusion, and equity lens in different learning settings:
- Considerations for classroom physical activity during COVID-19 is a document that provides district and school administrators, teachers, and caregivers and families with practical ideas and considerations to safely and equitably incorporate classroom physical activity to promote a culture of active engagement and learning.
- Classroom Physical Activity Ideas and Tips is a one-pager that provides teachers with tips on how to effectively engage students in active learning, followed by printable sheets of activity/energizer cards for different grade levels and learning settings (in-person vs. virtual).
Springboard to Active Schools will host a webinar on October 15 at 2:00 pm ET to share more information about the resources and discuss how teachers and staff can incorporate them into students’ learning experience. Public health and education professionals can register for this webinar at https://hria.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYucuyupzstH91SZFN8LUFdmjK-R6mVNZ7F.
In addition to these resources, CDC recently released its Considerations for Schools: Operating Schools During COVID-19, which provides guidance for schools that are reopening on ways to protect students, teachers, administrators, and staff, and slow the spread of COVID-19. The guidance, which is available on the CDC website, includes strategies to promote behaviors that reduce spread, maintain healthy environments and operations, and prepare for when someone gets sick. CDC has also created a readiness and planning tool that can be used on a regular basis to monitor recommended practices and help school administrators respond to outbreaks.
To find the latest guidance about school reopening, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html. For more information on Springboard to Active Schools’ COVID-19 resources, visit www.schoolspringboard.org/covid-19.
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About Springboard to Active Schools
Springboard to Active Schools is an initiative of the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and Health Resources in Action (HRiA) through Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-DP16-1601 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 2016, Springboard to Active Schools supports states, school districts, and schools to promote physical education and physical activity in school districts and schools across the country.
About the National Network of Public Health Institutes
The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) is an active network comprised of over 40 member public health institutes in over 30 states spanning all ten Department of Health and Human Services regions. Public health institutes are nonprofit organizations that improve the public’s health by fostering innovation, leveraging resources, and building partnerships across sectors, including government agencies, communities, the health care delivery system, media, and academia. NNPHI and its member institutes work together to implement public health policy and program initiatives throughout all 50 states. NNPHI also serves as the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training – NCCPHT.
About Health Resources in Action
Health Resources in Action is a leader in developing programs that advance public health and medical research. We work with governments, communities, scientists, and nonprofit organizations that share an imperative for resolving today’s most critical public health issues through policy, research, prevention, and health promotion.