Back to School!
Hard to believe another summer is already coming to an end! As you prepare to head back to school, don't forget to stay in touch. You can find us on all the social media sites - Twitter, Facebook and Blogger. Have a FANTASTIC school year!
In This Issue...
Resource Conference - Early Bird Deadline
Funding Resources
Iowa News
Northwest Arkansas News
Partner Profiles
PE4life Resource Conference
IMPORTANT: Early Bird Discount has been extended to THIS Friday, August 20th. Register now to receive the $125 price!
October 4-5, 2010
Overland Park, KS
Join the brightest and best in the Health and Physical Education profession as they share cutting-edge ideas and
techniques through roundtable discussions, think-tank opportunities and breakout sessions. This event is designed to
inform, educate and inspire school leaders regardless of where you are in your program – we’ve even tossed in some good quality play time with our program partners and equipment vendors!
At this two full-day event you will:
• Meet top physical educators in the country and learn best practices they utilize.
• Work together and network with other PE professionals through opportunities such as roundtable discussions.
• Hear from professionals who have been there, done that and are sharing their lessons learned.
• Take away applicable, hands on information that you can begin implementing upon returning home.
• Participate in activity and demonstration sessions with equipment vendors.
• Leave feeling inspired and motivated!
Featuring renowned health and wellness leaders:
• Jean Blaydes Madigan of Action Based Learning
• World Renowned Naperville (IL) District 203’s Learning Readiness PE
• Rick Schupbach of Grundy Center (IA) School District, host of the 2010 Global Forum for Physical Education Pedagogy
Additional Sessions Include:
• Adding Physical Activity to the Learning Process
• Grants: How, What, Where, How to Write
• Raising the Bar: “Be the change you want to see"
• Short-Sided Games
• 1-2-3-F-I-T: Combining physical activity with math and reading.
• PEP Grant: Catalyst for Change
• And MORE
Can't afford to attend? We've compiled resources to help you find funding!
Back to Top
Funding Opportunities
As you're eagerly awaiting the announcement of this year's PEP Grant winners, check out these funding opportunities:
Department of Agriculture - PEOPLE’S GARDEN SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has $1 million available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 for a People’s Garden School Pilot Program.
National Dairy Council and General Mills – School Breakfast Program Grants
General Mills has partnered with the National Dairy Council’s Fuel Up to Play 60 Program to expand school breakfast programs. Schools already enrolled in the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program and wishing to expand their school breakfast can submit proposals. Proposals should demonstrate how the school breakfast program will be expanded or improved in sustainable ways.
Bayer USA Foundation – Community Health and Development Grants (Various locations)
The Bayer USA Foundation supports programs that enhance the quality of life, provide unique and enriching opportunities that connect diverse groups, and ensure preparedness for tomorrow's leaders. The Foundation welcomes proposals from organizations focused on health and human services, education and workforce development, environment and sustainability, and/or arts and culture.
Kohl’s Cares for Kids® $10MM Giveback Contest
In celebration of Kohl's Cares® 10th anniversary, they're donating $500,000 to 20 schools each for a total of $10 million.
UnitedHealth HEROES Service-Learning Grants
The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative developed by UnitedHealth Group and Youth Service America. The program awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity.
Use these websites to search for grants specific to your needs:
Shaping America's Youth
Exergame Fitness
PE Links 4 You
Grants 4 Teachers
SPARK Grant Finder Tool
PE4life expansion projects continue… Check out these exciting developments!
Iowa News
Mark Yontz hired as Iowa Regional Project Manager
We're pleased to share with you that PE4life has hired Mark Yontz to serve as the Iowa Regional Project Manager.
Mark has a great deal of professional experience, including roles as a public relations manager for the Iowa Division of Tourism; executive director of the Bob Feller Museum; public affairs & legislative liaison for State Farm Insurance; and corporate communications and marketing director for Life Care Services, where he also served as the employee wellness coordinator for the company. He’s also owned/operated his own consulting practice and was a loaned executive for the United Way of Central Iowa during the 2009 campaign.
We are excited to have Mark and his expertise on board and are certain he’ll help the organization continue to expand their mission of achieving health and wellness for every child, within Iowa and beyond.
Read the official press release regarding Mark’s hire. Read an interview with Mark that appeared in the Des Moines Business Record.
First Ten Schools for New Adopt-A-School Challenge Identified
(Des Moines, IA – August 16, 2010) – PE4life is pleased to announce the selection of the first ten schools who will receive physical education professional development and funding support through the Iowa Business Council/PE4life Adopt-A-School Challenge, a statewide initiative created to enhance the quality of physical education for elementary and secondary students in Iowa schools. This initiative began when The IBC expressed the desire to make Iowa the healthiest state in the country and asked PE4life to help them by working with schools to integrate PE4life’s Core Principles.
As a result of an application process that began last April, the following schools have been selected based on a variety of criteria to be a part of the first ten locations to receive hands-on support via this program. They are:
• Audubon Community Schools (Grades K-12) – Audubon
• Francis Marion Intermediate (Grades 4-5) – Marion
• Grant Wood AEA (K-12 special education) – Cedar Rapids
• Iowa City West High School (Grades 9-12) – Iowa City
• John Cline Elementary/Carrie Lee Elementary (Grades K-4) – Decorah
• Kingsley Elementary (Grades K-5) – Waterloo
• North Polk West Elementary (Grades Pre-K-5) – Polk City
• Van Meter Schools (K-12) – Van Meter
• Williamsburg Jr/Sr High School (Grades 7-12) – Williamsburg
• Wilson Middle School (Grades 6-8) – Council Bluffs
Read the press release.
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Northwest Arkansas News
Sherry Lloyd Promoted to Northwest Arkansas Regional Project Manager
We’re pleased to announce that Sherry Lloyd has been promoted to the position of Northwest Arkansas Regional Project Manager. Sherry has been a vital asset to the PE4life team, serving as Community Outreach Manager since 2009. She has played a significant role in the expansion of PE4life into the Northwest Arkansas and Mississippi communities and we know she will continue to exceed expectations in her new role. Read the offical press release announcing Sherry's promotion.
CWIP Grant:
The team in NWA just completed the last training as part of The Child Wellness Intervention Project (CWIP) grant by the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission (ATSC).
PE4life was privileged to partner with the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission and the Arkansas Department of Education's (ADE) Office of Coordinated School Health in collaboration with Arkansas Children's Hospital to provide a one day community involvement training to 37 school/community teams.
The teams consisted of 6 members: a PE teacher, a principal, the Superintendant and three community members. The one day session gave attendees an overview of PE4life, our philosophy and principles as well as a crash course in how to market their program, become an advocate for quality physical activity in their school and community, as well as fundraising and grant writing tips.
The Care Foundation Grant:
PE4life has been awarded a “School Based Fitness” grant from the Care Foundation, Inc. in the amount of $177,000 to further enhance quality physical education as part of the overall education for children in Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale school districts. The grant focus is to integrate PE4life’s Core Principles in K-12 programs that can serve as models for other school districts across the state.
Under the grant, PE4life will conduct detailed assessments of schools within the above mentioned districts identifying the ones who will participate in PE4life professional development, be eligible to apply for equipment scholarships, and begin their journey to achieving quality physical education programming which will enhance learning and create lifetime wellness for the children in their district. The grant’s action plan will also include continued assessment of and professional development support for previously Care Foundation funded schools, grades K-12.
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Palos Sports We'd like to welcome our newest Preferred Vendor Partner - Palos Sports!
For ov -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sportime
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Four SPARK Schools Earn Healthy Schools Program National Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Railyard
You will now find a Railyard Conditioning Course in nearly every state in the country. They credit their steady and continuing growth to Railyard customers who are spreading the word that the Railyard Conditioning Course is the perfect exercise for children in grades K-12. In most schools a workout on the Railyard is included in each class, and in many schools, exercise on the Railyard is used to prepare children to learn in the class immediately following that workout. When you need an exercise program that is not only fun, functional, and easy to implement, look at the Railyard Conditioning Course. www.railyardfitness.com
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SCIFIT® Program Keeps Kids Moving |
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Our Partners:
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er 50 years Palos Sports has been providing quality P.E. and athletic equipment to schools across the country. Fitness assessment, exergaming, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, disc golf, team building- they have it! Their excellent selection of products, competitive pricing, quick shipping and ‘real people’ customer service is number one. Please contact Shirley or Jessica at 800.233.5484 for your exclusive PE4life discount. To learn more about Palos Sports visit 
For the past 45 years Sportime has been the leading source of innovative physical education equipment and professional development training for kindergarten through 12th grade PE professionals. Their line of original products, called Innovations, change the way Physical Education is taught by developing teaching tools that validate important physical education principles such as inclusion, cognition and critical thinking. Sportime also conducts over 50 workshops throughout the year providing health professionals the opportunity to learn the latest innovative teaching methods. The Sportime sponsored TOY (Teacher of the Year) program provides many of its award recipients as workshop leaders in their areas of expertise. To view their innovative products or to schedule a workshop in your area, go to 
Tennis Skillastics®, the latest release in a series of 9 activity kits, will be a featured activity during Arthur Ashe’s Kid’s Day on August 28th, the day prior to the opening of the US Open Tennis Tournament in Flushing, NY. Over 25,000 children are expected to attend the exciting event that includes Sport and Hollywood Celebrities kicking off the US Open. Tennis Skillastics®, which is endorsed by the USTA, was designed as a teaching tool to help children achieve a higher level of fitness and skill by making practicing tennis fun in a unique, non-competitive environment. Tennis Skillastics® nicely compliments the School Tennis Curriculum Kit offered by the USTA. For more information visit; 
In a recent partnership with Humana, Motion Fitness is proud to showcase the Horsepower Challenge to PE4life schools across the country! The Horsepower Challenge, with hundreds of millions of steps logged so far, is an online game designed especially for kids that is powered by real-world activity with a virtual race around the planet. Keeping with the PE4life vision of “building healthy student bodies-one at a time” they are promoting a game that encourages children to lead an active lifestyle through fun, interactive, online games.
Each year, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation awards the Healthy Schools Program National Recognition Award to schools around the country that have reached an important benchmark in improving the learning and working environments of students and staff.
Some students in Clearwater, Kansas did not get a summer break…from fitness. The students and student athletes who participated in Clearwater’s summer/off-season program have been working hard to improve fitness levels. In June the school tested 120 students and student athletes from grades 7-12 using their new SCIFIT equipment and SCIFIT’s Power Fit™ test protocol. The 10 minute test measures power output (watts) over a series of five intervals. The students’ scores were recorded and in September the test will be repeated to determine progress made over the summer.
