Calling All Practitioners

The 2018 goal of LMAS is to mobilize 50 000 participating schools through a 6-step process that is accompanied by customized support including grant opportunities.

A national movement is taking shape in and around schools, and all advocates for the promotion and development of lifelong physical health and well-being among youth have a critically important role to play. At the forefront is First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Active Schools (LMAS; http://letsmoveschools.org/), a recently announced campaign that for the first time will bring together the resources and programs of public and private sectors to increase physical activity opportunities surrounding US schools. ¹ By and large, LMAS is the result of many long-standing efforts in support of improving youth physical activity levels by its coalition members and numerous other health care organizations, government agencies, federal/state legislation, national alliances, and even professional sport leagues. The 2018 goal of LMAS is to mobilize 50 000 participating schools through a 6-step process that is accompanied by customized support including grant opportunities, free online resources and personal assistance, and in-person training. ² A cornerstone to reaching this goal is for every participating school to be equipped with a champion for physical activity.

The most logical person to serve as a school physical activity champion is the physical education teacher.^3,4 Physical education teachers are typically the only school professional with expertise in physical activity promotion and access to the necessary resources and facilities to make physical activity programming happen. However, not all schools have a physical educator or even require physical education as part of the school curriculum, ⁵ and most current physical education teachers need further training to take on the role of school physical activity champion, much of which is not currently offered in physical education teacher education programs. ⁶ Consequently, LMAS also welcomes generalist teachers, school administrators and staff, and even capable parents to take on the role and become a school physical activity champion. ⁷

There are several questions that arise relative to the success of LMAS and practitioners in the field. The article written by Castelli, Centeio, and Nicksic provides guidance and stimulates thought pertaining to 3 questions, in particular, that will now be discussed in turn.

How to Become a School Physical Activity Champion?

Individuals interested in championing for increased school physical activity opportunities can simply go to the LMAS Web site and follow the 6 steps and access the customized support. An important aspect of this support, and perhaps a prerequisite for many individuals new to the idea of a school physical activity champion, is the availability of in-person training. The anticipated 2018 target is that at least 20 000 individuals will opt for this additional training as part of LMAS and become what will be known as a Physical Activity Leader (PAL), also termed Director of Physical Activity (DPA).^4,7 In their article, Castelli et al introduced the notion of providing educators with effective professional development opportunities and presented the most evidenced criteria of effective professional development. These criteria, combined with lessons learned from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education DPA certification program ⁴ (E. E. Centeio, D. M. Castelli, R. L. Carson, & A. Beighle, 2013, unpublished data) and similar training efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ⁸ provide direction for the development of an effective PAL training expected to launch in August 2013.

What Does a School Physical Activity Champion Do?

The primary responsibility of this dedicated individual is to spearhead the creation of an active school culture where youth achieve and learn how to adopt the recommended amounts of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Using the multicomponent approach highlighted throughout Castelli et al’s article, this would entail coordinating a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) whereby physical activity opportunities are provided across at least 2 of the 5 integral components: quality physical education (eg, meaningful content), during school (eg, activity breaks), before and after school (eg, active transportation), family and community engagement (eg, activity outings), and staff involvement (eg, employee wellness program). ⁹ The CSPAP model (see Figure 1) is the guiding framework for creating an active school and, therefore, is a central feature of LMAS and its accompanying online resources and technical assistance, success stories, and eventually the PAL training.

Figure 1.

Five Components of the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Model.

How Can Practitioners in the Field Help School Physical Activity Champions?

The first step of the 6-step process of LMAS is to build a support team to facilitate the creation and implementation of an active school. This team, school heath advisory council may be carry many names (ie, school wellness committee, school health team, school heath advisory council) but should be led by the school physical activity champion and include a school administrator, physical education teacher(s), and school health personnel, parents, students, and local community members with expertise in physical activity or physical activity promotion.^4,10 Thus, practitioners in the field may consider serving on these support teams, learning more about their needs and efforts, or, at the very least, participating in local LMAS activities, such as CSPAP events or PAL trainings. By doing so, practitioners could help build community awareness and collaboration for LMAS activities, provide credible support for school-based physical activity, and, if willing to offer their expertise at PAL trainings (eg, pediatrician sharing the immediate health risks of inactivity), fulfill one of the most highly supported criteria of effective professional development as noted by Castelli et al.

In conclusion, with a heavily financed and partnered LMAS campaign just underway, and a recently released report prioritizing the great potential of school-based programs in accelerating progress in obesity prevention, ¹¹ the window of opportunity to boost physical activity in schools, via a well-trained school physical activity champion, is now. Castelli et al claimed that individuals who assume this role should receive professional development composed of sufficiently supported criteria from the literature on teacher learning and growth. There is little question that the success of LMAS and its accompanying PAL training can only be enhanced from the immediate attention and involvement of practitioners in field. Practitioners answer the call: Reach out to local schools and help them become an active school.