Is it realistic to expect physical educators to impact all children?

The pressure is on for schools and physical educators to impact all children in the fight against obesity and related issues. What are the barriers they face in this challenge? Outside from some of the obvious like not enough funding and not enough time, how about:

Children and youth who don't have the confidence to participate in PE classes?

• Or they missed out on essential skill building in elementary school?



• Or they are making unhealthy meal and snack choices outside of school that offset the work done in school?



• Or maybe they have limited access or knowledge of how to access physical leisure activities?



• And what about cultures, norms or just plain patterns in the home life that don't model or embrace physical activity and health?

All the heart monitors, aerobic equipment, high tech dance curriculum in the world is not going to impact body mass index figures, cardio vascular health or health if children and youth just aren't engaging during physical ed classes or if their choices are offsetting any progress made.

Achieving Fitness, Project Adventure's newest model can support the success of traditional fitness programming! Created by Jane Panicucci with Lisa Hunt, Ila Prouty and Carolyn Masterson, Achieving Fitness uses the core concepts of adventure teaching and learning to camouflage the heart raising activities and simultaneously work on goal setting, decision making, self-efficacy, team work and a lot of fun! After participating in Achieving Fitness, youth and children will be better able emotionally and physically engage in life long fitness!


If you are going to the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance conference in Fort Worth in April, join Project Adventure for our Achieving Fitness Launch Party - Thursday night, April 10. Stop by our booth #822 for directions or email msilk@pa.org.

Not going to AAHPERD? But still want to get in on the fun? Schedule an Achieving Fitness training at your school, camp, or program by calling 800-468-8898 x 4554 or info@pa.org. Or come to a workshop at one of our sites!