Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District, the Bower Foundation and Mississippi Department of Education Move to Learn
Duration of partnership - 1 year
1,005 students impacted
The Move to Learn initiative was launched in 2012 by The Bower Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Education to help teachers incorporate physical activity into lesson plans. Move to Learn is based on two Mississippi academic studies that show a correlation between increased fitness and improved test scores, as well as fewer absences and fewer disciplinary incidents.
Last year the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District partnered with The Bower Foundation and Mississippi Department of Education to expand the Move to Learn fitness program. North Bay Elementary School was chosen as the site to film ten new videos that show students performing exercises that can be done in a small space. Coach Kenny Guess, a health and physical activity instructor, participated in the videos along with third and sixth graders from North Bay Elementary and Bay Waveland Middle Schools.
Move to Learn is a free, easy-to-use tool for educators to incorporate movement and fitness into the school day. The Move to Learn website offers short exercise videos for grades K-6 and healthy lesson plans to help teachers create positive learning environments and promote effective classroom management. The website also includes examples of schools that are already using physical activity to improve academic performance.
Mississippi teachers are excited about this resource as they prepare students to meet education standards. Teachers throughout the state are noticing an increase in their students’ ability to learn and to focus on their work after using fitness breaks in the classroom. Fitness breaks also are a great classroom management tool that improves student behavior. Physical activity in a child’s day is a win-win by helping kids become healthier and achieve better academic results. Move to Learn is also helping districts achieve the required 150 minutes of physical activity each week.