What works....
Our prototype 1/8-mile track and athletic field just celebrated it's first birthday! Since it's inception we have implemented a very successful before school Rock & Run Club for the students of Ivey Ranch Elementary School.
This voluntary Club allows parents to drop their children off as early as 30 minutes before school starts for supervised walking, jogging, running, and even a bit of socializing! Over 300 of our 700+ students are participating on some level in a music based physical activity that is open to all students, parents, and school staff every morning.
After this facility opened in March 2008 students logged over 8000 miles by year end (June 2008). Now, in the current 08/09 school year, we have logged over 10,000 miles, have 20+ students in the"100 Mile Club" and one student just hit the "200 mile" mark! All of this has happened even though we had a two month closure due to irrigation issues involving our neighboring city park....
Our before school Rock & Run Club provides an energizing start to everyone's day who participates. Be it the kids, parent volunteers, senior volunteers, and even some staff who join us....it is the ultimate jump-start children need to get their day underway! And it is always bitter-sweet at the end of our 30 minutes when our regular participants BEG for "just one more lap, Mrs. Johnson, PLEASE?". I then have to tell them "no, now it's time to go exercise your brain...see you tomorrow".
I think we have a simple perscription in preventing childhood obesity. It's "OFF YOUR SEAT, MOVE YOUR FEET!" This model, in combination with the crucial aspect of California content standard based physical education, will WORK.
This grassroot RX WORK's. This grassroot motivated activity and movement WORKS. Let's make it all WORK as a team elsewhere, everywhere, and NOW!