SPARK Physical Education Curriculum

Below is a short list of organizations that SPARK is currently partnering with to reduce childhood obesity in the United States.

Click Here to view a complete list of all Academic/Professional Collaborations.

AAHPERD

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is the largest organization of professionals supporting and assisting those involved in physical education, leisure, fitness, dance, health promotion, and education and all specialties related to achieving a healthy lifestyle. AAHPERD is an alliance of five national non-profit associations, six district associations, and a research consortium. The allied national associations include the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR); American Association for Health Education (AAHE); National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS); National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE); and the National Dance Association (NDA). The Alliance serves 26,000 members and has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia, 25 miles west of Washington DC.

ANNIKA Foundation

The ANNIKA Foundation teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. A primary focus for the ANNIKA Foundation is to identify the greatest needs and opportunities to make an impact by developing sports and physical fitness programs for kids. A key focus is to provide resources that increase participation and access where it is not currently available or affordable, and promote awareness for the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle. More information about the ANNIKA Foundation can be found at www.annikafoundation.org.

Best Bones Forever

The Best Bones Forever! Campaign encourages girls to get active and eat more foods with calcium and vitamin D. Best Bones Forever!™ is a public-private partnership that brings together organizations from across the country. Founding partner, National Osteoporosis Foundation, tops a partner roster that also includes Girl Scouts, Girls Inc., Action for Healthy Kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National Association of School Nurses, the National Institutes of Health, Women's Sports Foundation, and more. For more information on campaign partners and activities, go to the campaign Web site for girls at www.bestbonesforever.gov or for parents at www.bestbonesforever.gov/parents.

CAHPERD

The California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD), founded in 1930, is a non-profit, voluntary membership corporation formed exclusively to promote the organizing and progress of school, community and statewide programs of health, physical education, recreation and dance which will embody such opportunities and which will insure the inclusion of such programs within the most appropriate philosophical and social context of life in California.

GenMove

GenMove delivers innovative health and movement programming and equipment, changing the way students and instructors approach physical education and moving generations to better health. Extensively researched and field-tested, GenMove activities and products are designed with instructors’ as well as students’ needs in mind. Versatile and easy to implement, GenMove’s turnkey programs allow new teachers or non-specialists to deliver quality physical education with confidence. At the same time, innovative activities give seasoned physical education instructors new tools to engage students’ bodies and minds. Every activity we develop adheres to national and state standards and comes with teacher- and student-driven assessments so that instructors can gauge student performance and progress.

For more information on GenMove please visit www.genmoveusa.com

Healthy Kids Challenge

Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC) is a nationally recognized non-profit led by an exemplary team of registered, licensed dietitians with many years of school, program, and community wellness experience. HKC uses the most current evidence-based recommendations of Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, and offers solutions through workshops, events, toolkits, a website, newsletters and programming.

Healthy Lifestyles Choices

Healthy Lifestyle Choices (HLC) is a non-profit organization that provides children with the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate effectively, resolve conflict peacefully, think and act safely, balance a healthy diet with physical activity and avoid harmful substances.

Healthy Weight Commitment

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a CEO-led organization, is a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity–especially childhood obesity–by 2015. It’s a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together more than 170 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and NGOs, and professional sports organizations. The Foundation promotes ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance–calories in and calories out. It focuses on three critical areas–the marketplace, the workplace and schools. Learn More

Highmark Foundation

In 2006, the Highmark Foundation launched Highmark Healthy High 5, a five-year, $100 million children’s health promotion initiative to address five critical areas affecting children’s health. The project’s goal is to give young people to tools, resources and knowledge needed to live healthier lives by making informed choices. This project targets children and adolescents ages 6 to 18 by raising awareness, changing behavior through grants and programs, and provides resources and knowledge to parents, schools, and the communities served by the Highmark Foundation. The five critical areas are nutrition and physical activity (to fight childhood obesity), grieving, self-esteem and bullying prevention.

Highmark Healthy High 5 chose SPARK as its partner to improve the quantity and quality of physical activity in after school programs. The after school programs participate in training and receive SPARK curriculum, equipment and follow up support so their programs work and last. To date, 173 active sites and over 250 youth leaders have become trained and their after school programs are lighting up children’s lives throughout Pennsylvania.

HUMAN Healthy Vending

HUMAN is Helping Unite Man And Nutrition by placing premium healthy vending machines in schools across America and giving 10% of proceeds back to charitable causes that fight childhood obesity. HUMAN’s main benefits to schools include:

• $500 vouchers that can be redeemed for SPARK products & services (participating schools)
• Eco-friendly school vending machines that educate students about nutrition through video-playing, digital LCD screens on the front of the machine
• A healthy vending catalog of over 5,000 healthy vending snacks, meals and drinks (including a hot food machine that serves students automated hot meals)

To learn more about HUMAN’s healthy vending services and how your school can “do more with less” visit www.HealthyVending.com.

Let's Move In School

Let's Move in School is a call to action for teachers, principals, superintendents, school boards, and parents to help schools provides a comprehensive school physical activity program with quality physical education as the foundation so that youth will develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. For more information on Let’s Move in School please visit www.aapherd.org/letsmoveinschool.

MEND

MEND is the world’s largest provider of evidence-based family weight management programs that combine behavior change, physical activity and nutritional counseling in a community setting. Over 30,000 participants in 5 countries have already benefitted from attending a MEND 7-13 Program, an evidence-based healthy lifestyle program for 7-13 year-olds and their families. In the US, the MEND Foundation is dedicated to inspiring children, families and adults to lead and sustain fitter, healthier and happier lives – with a focus on changing the behaviors that cause overweight and obesity. The Foundation distributes MEND’s programs with a specific intent to reach low-income families in underserved communities. MEND 7-13 is currently being run in diverse communities across the US, in partnership with YMCAs and other community-based organizations.

SPARK and MEND – teaming up to prevent and reduce childhood obesity – because together we make a significant difference.

Motion Fitness

Motion Fitness is an Innovative Active Lifestyle Company that creates leading industry products, solutions and partnerships through Fitness, Exergaming and Youth Solutions. We merge hi-tech with game play and activity. Our company shows businesses how to incorporate Exergaming and Fitness to make cultural changes in the health of communities.

NASPE Corporate Council

NASPE Corporate Council provides a forum for idea sharing among companies with diverse perspectives but a single purpose – preventing and reducing obesity through quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs.

NASPE Corporate Council members:

• Stay informed about key issues surrounding physical activity promotion and obesity prevention.
• Obtain a greater understanding of advancements and opportunities in public policy, professional practice, and physical education, sport, and physical activity programming.
• Gain networking opportunities with nationally-known health, education, and public policy experts.
• Learn about national and state efforts to increase physical activity and decrease obesity.
• Demonstrate leadership and support for this national effort.

NCAAHPERD

The North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NCAAHPERD) is one of the oldest professional associations in North Carolina dedicated to the advancement of research and education within the fields of Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

NCAAHPERD is an alliance of six associations:

1. Dance Association for North Carolina Educators (DANCE)
2. North Carolina Association for Athletic Education (NCAAE)
3. North Carolina Association for the Advancement of Health Education (NCAAHE)
4. North Carolina Sports Management Association (NCSMA)
5. Physical Education Association (PEA)
6. Student Majors Association (SMA)

PE 4 LIFE

PE4life is a national non-profit organization dedicated to developing a country of active and healthy children and youth by increasing access to quality physical education. PE4life promotes making physical activity fun and interactive to engage all students. PE4life partners with community, business, and school leaders to facilitate systemic change in physical education with the desire to improve the health and wellness of children through quality physical education. PE4life offers professional development and support to educators and administrators who desire to create positive change in their schools and communities.

President's Challenge

The President’s Challenge is the physical activity and fitness awards program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program provides a free, motivational online physical activity tracking tool for all ages to earn Presidential recognition. Additionally, the popular physical fitness test offers awards for students of all levels of achievement and abilities. See how you or your school can get involved by visiting www.presidentschallenge.org.

RMC Health

RMC Health is national leader specializing in strengthening the effectiveness of those working to improve the health and well-being of K-12 students. RMC Health combines deep school health experience and expertise with excellent professional development opportunities, ensuring our partners implement best practices to advance the health of students, their schools and their communities. Visit www.rmc.org to learn more.

We Can!®

We Can! is a science-based national education program developed by the NIH – a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. The program offers flexible, turn-key resources complete with partnership ideas and outreach opportunities to unite community organizations. Four of the National Institutes of Health have combined their unique resources and activities to create We Can!: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and the National Cancer Institute. For more information, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call toll-free 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226).