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Corporate Social Responsibility
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6.16.2004 ET
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Nike Calls for Daily P.E. Classes in U.S. Schools
To Highlight the Need for Physical Education in Schools, Nike and The SPARK Programs Introduce the New P.E. at the HealthierUS Fitness Festival on the National Mall
(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, DC - In a speech at the HealthierUS Fitness Festival
today, Nike called for companies, athletes, coaches and educators to work
together to bring P.E. classes taught by P.E. specialists for at least 30
minutes a day, five days a week, to American schools. Nike said an
innovative, new type of P.E. program, like that developed by SPARK
(Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids), which is fun, interactive
and constantly moving, should replace the out-moded P.E. classes that were
taught through most of the late-20th Century.
Nike and SPARK were among the more than 50 organizations to participate in
the HealthierUS Fitness Festival on the National Mall. The President's
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports joined with Congressmen Zach Wamp
and Mark Udall, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Fitness Caucus, to organize
and showcase activities and resources available to get Americans moving for
health.
"For the first time in 100 years, kids today have a shorter life
expectancy than their parents," said Gary DeStefano, President, Nike USA
Operations. "Our national epidemic of youth inactivity and unhealthy
weight has worsened with the decline of school-based P.E. programs.
Studies show these programs are some of the most effective ways to
increase activity among youth. We believe one way to reverse this trend is
for companies, organizations and the government to work together to help
bring daily P.E. classes taught by P.E. specialists back to schools."
During the HealthierUS Fitness Festival, Nike, SPARK, University of
Maryland Men's Basketball Coach Gary Williams and Houston Comet's Cynthia
Cooper hosted an interactive PE2GO demonstration of the "new P.E.," a
combination of constant movement, fun and skills development for kids.
PE2GO is a national, standards-based program designed by Nike and SPARK to
help increase the quality and quantity of physical education in schools
where P.E. classes have been drastically reduced or eliminated. Nike and
SPARK deliver the curriculum, training and equipment to classroom teachers
to prepare them to teach P.E. to fourth and fifth grade kids. In the fall
of 2003, PE2GO launched in six U.S. cities, reaching over 6,400 fourth and
fifth graders in 43 elementary schools.
"PE2GO is the 'New P.E.,' where students no longer stand on the sidelines
or in line waiting for a turn to play. All kids get simultaneous
opportunities to participate, develop their own individual skills and
learn to enjoy physical activity," said Paul Rosengard, Executive Director
for SPARK. "We provide schools with a self-contained physical education
program that gives P.E. specialists and classroom teachers the tools to
instill in children a lifelong love of physical activity."
Only one in four U.S. public school students attends regular P.E. classes,
and fewer than one in four children get 20 minutes of vigorous activity
every day. Health professionals agree kids should take part in a minimum
of 60 minutes of physical activity every day of the week. Preliminary
results from the first year PE2GO evaluation by Dr. Sarah Levin Martin, of
the Physical Activity and Health Branch at the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), demonstrate more than just physical benefits from the program:
Nine out of ten kids are more active, and enjoy it;
Three out of four kids learned physical activities that can be enjoyed
for a lifetime;
Three out of four kids learned to cooperate with others and improve
social skills; and
P.E. teaching skills improved.
In her remarks at the HealthierUS Fitness Festival, Nike's Director of
U.S. Community Affairs explained that Nike's ultimate goal is to initiate
lifestyle changes in students so they will lead more physically active
lives. "Initial results from our first year of PE2GO have been
overwhelmingly positive and demonstrate the majority of kids' fitness
levels and sports and movement skills improved markedly," said Molly
White. "Even more exciting, we received love letters from teachers and
kids who were so enthused with the program that they asked for daily P.E.
classes in their schools. In year two, we plan to reach more schools in
current cities and school districts as well as explore other cities in
order to bring the 'New P.E.' to more kids throughout the country."
In addition to PE2GO, Nike is involved in several initiatives designed to
increase the participation of young people in physical activity as a means
to improve their lives. These range from after-school programs at Boys &
Girls Clubs to collaboration with Indian Health Services to fight diabetes
among Native American youth to national and regional advocacy. Nike has
made a long-term commitment to help kids get physically active, through
its signature affairs program, NikeGO.
About SPARK
SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) is a research-based
organization dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating programs
that promote lifelong wellness. Visit www.sparkpe.org or call 1-800SPARKPE or
e-mail: spark@sparkpe.org for more
information.
About NikeGO
NikeGO is Nike's signature U.S. community affairs initiative and the
company's long-term commitment to getting kids more physically active.
The program's mission is to increase physical activity in youth ages 8-15,
offering them the support and motivation to become physically active, stay
healthy and have fun. Nike committed more than $10 million last year in
cash and products to get kids moving. Visit www.nikego.com for additional
information.
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from 4:00 P.M. through 4:30 P.M. [ET] to include footage from the
HealthierUS Fitness Festival. Repeat at 5:00 P.M. through 6:00 P.M.
[ET].
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