Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SHAPE America Announces First Major District-Wide Enrollment of health. moves. minds.® in Jefferson County Public Schools

RESTON, VA, March 12, 2020 — SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators announced today that the organization’s health. moves. minds. program will be rolled out for the first time on a district-wide basis in Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY).

The new health. moves. minds. service-learning program was introduced in 2019 by SHAPE America to replace Jump Rope For Heart, a program SHAPE America was proud to have created and supported for almost 40 years.

“The health. moves. minds. program is literally saving lives and changing up the way kids experience physical education in schools today,” noted Jamie Sparks, SHAPE America president and executive director of Kentucky Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD). “Teachers who implement the program can drive significant resources back to their school to bolster their PE and health education program. But more than anything, the program’s educational content is really impacting kids on an unprecedented level, giving them skills to help them manage feelings of stress, anxiety and depression, which are all too often experienced by today’s youth. We couldn’t be prouder to partner with Jefferson County Schools as they roll out the program district-wide.”

“We are so excited to be the first school district to enroll all of our elementary and middle schools in health. moves. minds.,” said MeMe Ratliff, health and PE instructional lead for Jefferson County Public Schools. “This program infuses physical education with important lessons in social and emotional learning and health education, but also ensures our kids are having fun while learning new skills related to game play and strategy. And we are very excited for the opportunity to raise money through this program to ensure our schools have the equipment, curriculum and resources needed to foster an active, healthy learning environment.”

SHAPE America developed the health. moves. minds. program with support from its national partner, Gopher, to address the growing number of students around the country — at all grade levels — with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. The program provides teachers and administrators with resources to address mental health issues school-wide, which reduces the stigma surrounding these topics while giving students critical coping skills. It is grounded in standards-based physical education and health education and teaches young people how to take care of their mind and body while developing important character traits such as kindness and empathy.

The program includes:

• Free standards-based lessons for grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 (grades 9-12 available spring 2020);
• Activity materials and assessment resources for each lesson; and
• Opportunities for school-wide engagement, parent involvement, and community service.

The health. moves. minds. program also offers a fundraising component. Schools can choose if they want 50% of the funds they raise to go directly back to the school — or if they want to “pay it forward” and give 25% to a local charity of their choice.

###