CAN YOU HELP US FIND OUR NEXT DEFENDER OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AWARD WINNER? BOKS TO AWARD $10,000 TO EXEMPLARY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM

It’s that time of year again. The BOKS team is on the hunt for an exceptional BOKS program to award our Defenders of Physical Activity Award. Each year, we call for nominations from all of our participating U.S. BOKS schools and youth organizations to help us find one program that stands out for its efforts to get kids active and we reward them with a $10,000 grant. That’s right, $10,000!

Anyone running BOKS at a school or youth organization is eligible to apply. Tell us which BOKS resource(s) you are using and how they are creating a positive impact in your community. If your program is chosen, your school or youth organization will be the recipient of an unrestricted $10,000 grant to help amplify your health and wellness efforts in your community.

The winner of the Fall 2021 BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity will receive:

A $10,000 grant for your school or youth organization;
A BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” Trophy;
BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” T-shirts for all BOKS trainers and participating students (up to 100);
BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” medals for all participating students (up to 100);
Press release template for school to share with local media.

Ready to apply? Please login to the BOKS Trainer Hub, where you will find a link on the homepage and submit the following:

Describe how you’re using the BOKS program in 300-400 words. Include how you’ve adapted BOKS to your learning environment, how many kids you’ve been able to keep moving with BOKS and why your program should be considered.
If possible, share 2-3 photos or 1 short video clip highlighting either the in-person or virtual program you’ve implemented (must have permission from school/org to post / share on our channels and consent forms from the children’s parents/guardians who are featured).
Must provide permission for a BOKS staff member to visit your class this year either in person or virtually. Advance notice of visit will be provided and mutually agreed upon between the BOKS program trainer and BOKS staff member.

*Submissions must be made no later than 11:59pm EST November 24, 2021, and can be submitted by or on behalf of the BOKS program trainers via the BOKS Trainer Hub. The winner will be notified by email on December 6, 2021 and announced on BOKS Social Media channels thereafter.

Meet the BOKS Trainer Advisory Board Members!

We are so excited to announce members of the BOKS Trainer Advisory Board for the 2021-22 school year!

The Trainer Advisory Board consists of 13 enthusiastic, passionate BOKS Trainers who are committed to BOKS’ mission: providing schools, youth-based organizations and families with access to daily quality physical activity that inspires kids to move. Since 2009, BOKS has grown to more than 6,000 communities here in the United States, led by passionate individuals determined to improve the health and wellbeing of children. This Trainer Advisory Board will serve as the connection between these various communities to improve the resources, delivery, and impact of  the  BOKS program. The BOKS team is exceedingly grateful to all Trainer Advisory Board members for their contributions and recognizes the hard work and dedication of all members to serve the children in their respective communities.  

MEET THE BOKS TRAINER ADVISORY BOARD

BOKS Kids

BOKS ANNOUNCES $250K GRANT PROGRAM TO GET KIDS MOVING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

Physical activity program provides equitable access to sport & fitness with funds, training and on-going support

(BOSTON) August 23, 2021 — Today BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success), an initiative of the Reebok Foundation, announced a $250,000 grant program that will support its efforts to provide equitable access to physical activity and play to more children in underserved communities. The grants program which launched in the U.S. in 2020, awarded more than 100 schools and youth organizations funds to keep kids active even in the hybrid learning environments brought on by Covid-19. A portion of the funds for this program were donated through Reebok’s 5 percent give back on Kids product in the U.S. This year, the program will be extended to BOKS Canada through generous support from the Reebok Foundation and the Reebok Canada Fitness Foundation.

“The pandemic and subsequent remote learning environments have taken a toll on our kids mental and physical health,” said Kathleen Tullie, Founder and Executive Director of BOKS. “We know that physical activity is foundational to a healthy body and a healthy mind and yet, regular access to sport and fitness for schools and youth organizations in high-need communities can be scarce. These grants will allow us to help communities ensure that no child misses out on the countless benefits of movement and play.”

2021 BOKS GRANTS PROGRAM:
• Up to 100 grants in the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded to underserved schools and youth organizations in the United States.
• Up to 25 grants in the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded to underserved schools in Canada.
• To be eligible schools and/or youth organizations must be enrolled in the BOKS program.
• These grants can be used to purchase equipment, provide participant incentives/rewards, to pay trainers a stipend when program volunteers are lacking; or to be used in other creative ways to help overcome barriers to participation.

The BOKS program, which has been part of the Reebok brand since 2010, has impacted more than 500,000 kids over the last 11-years, improving whole child health and priming their minds for learning. Built on the science and research documented in the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, BOKS provides free physical activity programs, training and support to communities that want to establish and maintain impactful fitness and nutrition programs serving the whole child.

To learn more or apply for a BOKS grants in the U.S. please visit: https://activekids.org/support-us/boks-grants/
To learn more or apply for a BOKS grants in Canada please visit: www.bokskids.ca

Media Contacts
Jess Garbarino, Reebok
jess.garbarino@reebok.com

About BOKS
In today’s screen obsessed culture, kids are the least active generation in history. This sedentary lifestyle is negatively impacting both their physical, mental and social health. BOKS is a physical activity program designed to reverse this public health crisis by getting kids active and establishing a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. Built on the science and research documented in the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, BOKS provides free physical activity curriculum, training and support to communities looking to establish and maintain impactful fitness and nutrition programs serving the whole child. Having grown from a single elementary school to a global initiative, BOKS is scalable and its impact is supported by scientific research. BOKS envisions a world in which movement is a foundational part of every child’s day. For more information about BOKS visit www.bokskids.org.

BOKS Virtual Resource Training: August 18th

BOKS is hosting a Resource Training on August 18th, 2021. This training will provide attendees with an in-depth look into BOKS’ Resources and how they can be implemented at school, at a youth organization or even at home!

Event Details:

August 18, 2021

1:30pm – 3:00pm EST

Questions? Please reach out to Allyson.Dedrick@bokskids.org

New York Times Feature: Getting Kids to Move More

Exercise scientists and coaches offer tips on getting young people to be more active.

When we asked readers recently what they wanted to know about the coronavirus and exercise, many parents responded with variations of the question — or in some instances, the cri de coeur — of how do I get my kids to move more and stop sitting all day in front of laptops, phones and televisions?

It’s a legitimate concern. “A growing body of evidence shows excessive sitting to be linked with various health risks, low self-esteem and decreased academic achievement in school-aged children and youth,” says Taija Juutinen Finni, a professor of health sciences at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland who studies inactivity in young people.

But how do we encourage young people to be more active, without making activity one more draining chore? Exercise scientists and coaches, some of them also parents, had some suggestions.

Chase Bubbles and Dance

Parents’ primary goal should be to find a way — any way — to encourage homebound offspring to get up and move, at least a little, says Stuart Phillips, the director of the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “Getting some kind of physical activity every day greatly improves their mood, sleep and, of course, their health.”

The current federal physical activity guidelines recommend that children and teenagers exercise for at least an hour a day, while preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 should be up and whizzing about for three hours or more. But, for now, young people “should just try to get out of breath once in a while,” Dr. Juutinen Finni says.

To that end, the researchers recommend that, in technical parlance, you let the wild rumpus start. “Hopping, skipping, ball toss, bear crawls and crab walks can be fun ways to engage younger kids,” says Samantha Stephens, a pediatric exercise physiologist and research fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Avoid over-exuberant bouncing, of course, in deference to safety and any downstairs neighbors.

Or “set up a disco” in the living room, Dr. Juutinen Finni suggests, stringing holiday lights and creating a cross-generation family playlist. “Dancing together is fun,” she says and lifts pulses and spirits.

You also could meld academics and aerobics, helping both seem less rote. “In math, students could do calculations, and then get to perform as many jumps as the last answer,” Dr. Juutinen Finni says. Or, if they are studying shapes and geometry, suggest they step off the dimensions of your rooms and calculate just how rhomboid some of those spaces are.

Whenever possible, too, get outside, wearing masks and gloves as required, and go analog. “Use chalk to create a hopscotch course” on a sidewalk, Dr. Stephens says. “Blow bubbles and have your kids catch them. Play tag.” Not surprisingly, young people move more when outdoors. In a 2019 study of almost 6,500 children in 12 nations, any hour spent outside resulted in more physical activity than comparable time indoors.

Join the Resistance

Young people should also aim to be strong, and some of them, especially teenagers, may be more receptive to weight training than family dancing. “If your kids don’t want to run, bike or walk but would lift a weight or a sack of flour, do a push-up, squat, jump, skip, then great!” Dr. Phillips says.

“Resistive work is safe for kids ,” he adds, “and likely helps to prevent injuries in sports, has beneficial metabolic effects, and a huge mental health benefit.”

It also can be done with little or no equipment. “Body weight training is a great form of resistance exercise,” Dr. Phillips says.

For a brief, child-friendly body weight workout, try several push-ups, followed by some “mountain climbers” — with the young people on all fours, kicking first one leg and then the other behind them, as if scaling a steep slope — and 30 seconds or so of “Superman,” meaning children lie on their stomachs on the floor and lift and hold their arms and legs, as if whooshing through the air.

Young people could Zoom these sessions with friends or allow their parents to join in, for competition and comic relief.

Recess for All

But perhaps the most important message for parents is “don’t try to be the P.E. teacher,” says Ali McManus, a professor of health and exercise at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus, whose research focuses on children. “If we make exercise too prescriptive, it will be yet another thing to make many parents feel they are failing” and children and teenagers resentful.

Instead, reframe physical activity as a respite from the demands and anxieties of the pandemic, she says. “Parents need recess, too.” So, for your sake and theirs, get up when you can and hop or shimmy with your youngsters. Or suggest your teens, spouse and you download the adventure app “Zombies, Run!,” and add bloodcurdling frisson to an all-family after-school jog.

And know that having the time, space and opportunity to exercise during the shelter-at-home edicts are privileges not available to everyone, every day. If, this afternoon, you cannot break away from Zoom conferences for a dance-off, relax, Dr. Juutinen Finni says, and aim for the more-modest goal of getting your offspring up off the couch every hour. Standing up, by itself, “provides a healthy stimulus to the leg muscles in children,” she says, and lifts some of the weight from busy parents’ shoulders.

Additional Exercise-Related Resources for Parents and Children

American College of Sports Medicine’s Tips for Building Fit Kids

The Sports Mom Survival Guide Bodyweight Workout

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Go Noodle

Born to Move

New York Road Runners Stay Active at Home

BOKS Kids

Sworkit Kid Workouts

Published May 6, 2020Updated May 7, 2020

By Gretchen Reynolds

Article on The New York Times Here

Reebok to Provide $100,000 to 10 Lucky BOKS Programs ($10,000 Each!)

Reebok & BOKS are Getting Kids Active throughout the Nation by Increasing Movement Opportunities

(BOSTON, MA) January 25, 2021 — Today Reebok and BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success), an initiative of the Reebok Foundation, announced that they will provide 10 underserved schools and nonprofit youth organizations across the nation who are utilizing BOKS resources to help get kids moving with a $10,000 award. BOKS is a physical activity program designed to get kids active and establish a lifelong commitment to health and fitness.

“During these times of extreme isolation, increased sedentary behavior and screen obsessed youth, it is extremely important to provide inspiration and access to physical activity and play,” said Kathleen Tullie, Senior Director of Social Purpose at Reebok.”The award dollars are intended to support BOKS programming and resources, as well as other health and wellness initiatives, that increase opportunities for kids to move.”

In Fall 2020, in honor of the program’s 10 Year Anniversary, BOKS announced the Defenders of Physical Activity campaign, which would award $10,000 to one exemplary BOKS program that not only changes the wellbeing of kids in their community but sets an example for other BOKS programs. Exercise is really one of the best preventative measures in the fight against COVID-19 and overall mental and physical health. After an incredible influx of applications, and with so many strong programs to choose from, Reebok stepped in with the additional funding to recognize 10 BOKS programs, making the anniversary celebration even greater – 10 Years of BOKS and $10,000 to 10 amazing BOKS programs.

As the funds are unrestricted, the goal is to provide these schools and non-profit youth organizations the autonomy to use these dollars as needed to help keep the kids they serve active and healthy. The recipients of the $10,000 awards are as follows:

Randle Highlands, Washington DC
St. Dominic School, Los Angeles, CA
Redland Christian Academy, Homestead, FL

Gateway Region YMCA, St. Louis, MO
P.S. 228Q The Ivan Lafayette Early Childhood School of the Arts, NYC
Baldwin Early Learning, Boston, MA
Whitsett Elementary School, S. Nashville, TN
SouthSide Elementary, Providence RI

Boston Green Academy Horrace Mann Charter, Brighton MA
P.S. 384 Q, Long Island, NY

“We are thrilled and honored to be a recipient of the Defenders Of Physical Activity grant. These funds will allow the Y to impact change in this time of uncertainty. Having access to the BOKS program allows us to do more and provide needed services in our communities. We are excited to take BOKS to the next level and our hope is to provide youth with tools and resources to live a healthy lifestyle!” Said Sarah Rhodebeck, Executive Director of Association Child Care Services, Gateway Region YMCA.

“Our school serves an urban, low-income, primarily immigrant community with limited access to professional sports organizations.” Said Steven Orozco, Physical Educator and BOKS Leader, New York City Public School 228Q, The Ivan Lafayette Early Childhood School of the Arts. “All of our students will benefit from newly acquired gymnastics (ninja-course!) equipment acquired through our partnership with BOKS for years to come! The goal is to get kids excited about becoming more confident and adept at athletics, physical activity and making healthy choices; creating a joy of movement and instilling a lifetime of paring fun with movement.”

In 2020, BOKS also awarded an additional $200,000 to more than 100 underserved schools and nonprofit youth organizations across the US through its grant program. In addition to Reebok, BOKS grant funding partners include The Boston Foundation, CVS Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Toyota, and CrossFit.

Media Contacts

Caeli Sullivan, BOKS

caeli.sullivan@bokskids.org

Dan Sarro, Reebok

daniel.sarro@reebok.com

________________________

About Reebok
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Boston, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming that enable movement so people can fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s functional training, running, combat training, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. 

For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com, or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/

Discover Reebok at the following locations: https://www.instagram.com/reebok/; http://twitter.com/reebok; and http://youtube.com/reebok

  About BOKS

In today’s screen obsessed culture, kids are the least active generation in history. This sedentary lifestyle is negatively impacting both their physical, mental and social health. BOKS is a physical activity program designed to reverse this public health crisis by getting kids active and establishing a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. Built on the science and research documented in the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, BOKS provides free physical activity curriculum, training and support to communities looking to establish and maintain impactful fitness and nutrition programs serving the whole child. Having grown from a single elementary school to a global initiative, BOKS is scalable, and its impact is supported by scientific research. BOKS envisions a world in which movement is a foundational part of every child’s day.  For more information about BOKS visit www.bokskids.org.

The Washington Post Feature: Experts are worried about covid-19’s effect on childhood obesity. Here’s what we can do.

For the millions of American schoolchildren learning from home this school year, their “classroom” offers no playground or kickball courts for recess. Their school days end with no after-school sports or extracurricular activities. But what they do have, as the coronavirus pandemic forces a shift to virtual or hybrid education, is unfettered access to their home snack pantries and upheaval in their structures and routines. It’s a combination of forces, say experts, that has the potential to exacerbate another public health crisis: childhood obesity.

A study released this month by Trust for America’s Health, which based its findings in part on 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, found that 19.3 percent of Americans ages 2 to 19 are obese, compared with 5.5 percent in the mid-1970s.

Obesity carries a range of risk factors for children, among them high blood pressure, breathing problems and Type 2 diabetes. And when it comes to the risk of covid-19, there’s increasing evidence that patients who are obese, even young patients, are far more likely to experience serious complications from the illness, including death.

American kids are now facing a worst-case scenario for their health, said Cedric Bryant, president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, during a recent virtual press event on the topic of covid-19 and childhood obesity.

“It’s unprecedented that we’re inside, we’re out of normal routines. So it stands to reason that levels of inactivity are only going to worsen,” Bryant said. “And obesity makes it harder to deal with covid.”

Ilan Shapiro is the medical director of health education and wellness for AltaMed Health Services, a Southern California community health network, and he oversees its Stomp program (Solutions and Treatment to Obesity Management and Prevention).

He said he is seeing an uptick in young obese patients who have gained weight during the pandemic. And the advice he offers parents is simple: Stop focusing on your children, and start focusing on yourself.

“We talk a lot about kids, but we need to talk about parents, too,” Shapiro said. “We need to set a good example with our kids. That’s the start for everything. No one can run a marathon without walking first.”

None of us knows for certain when schools are going to reopen, when playgrounds will be safe for kids to climb and jump on again, or when after-school sports will start up again. The routines that gave structure to our days and kept our children active and burning calories have been taken away from us, and for that, we have little control. But what we can do right now, Shapiro tells his patients, is take back control in smaller ways.

To start, Shapiro tells his patients that they need to start with two important steps: Clear the junk food out of the snack pantry, and make cooking meals together part of your family’s routine.

“Get rid of the soda, the pepitas, the things with high calories. If your kid is going to have free access to the kitchen all day, stock it with carrots and apples. A lot of people think you need to have billions of dollars to eat healthfully, but you don’t. You just need to make better choices,” he said.

Crucially, Shapiro adds, parents need to focus on the example they are setting for their children. Healthful eating needs to be a family activity that the parents model, rather than simply enforce.

“Kids are visual learners,” he said. “If I’m eating a cheesecake while I’m telling my kids to eat their greens, it’s not the example they want to see,” he said.

Right now, Shapiro said, the issue runs deeper than lack of exercise and excess eating. Children (and adults) across America are using food as a way to find comfort in a time when routines have been taken away and life feels increasingly uncertain.

“When you have a lot of stress, and you’re bored, and you’re not moving, and apart from all that you have access to something that makes you feel better, you do it. The food becomes like your drug,” he said.

Shapiro encourages his clients to instead follow a five-step wellness plan that involves not only changes in diet but also exercise, sleep, stress management and getting more involved in their communities to build lines of support. Such moves, he says, help reduce reliance on unhealthful foods for comfort.

Kids’ stress, Shapiro says, is aggravated from upended schedules, so don’t let the absence of an ordinary school day rob you of other bookends on your day. Set a bedtime and stick to it. Encourage kids to talk about feelings of stress. Pencil in screen-free family time, and use it to cook a healthful meal together or connect with neighbors in a socially distanced way.

And what about movement? Even before the pandemic, researchers were concerned that young children were not moving enough. Amanda Staiano, assistant professor of pediatric obesity at Louisiana State University, has conducted numerous studies examining the associations between physical activity, motor skills and screen time in preschoolers, noting that 10 to 13 hours of sleep per day, less than one hour per day of screen time and at least one hour per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity were associated with higher fundamental motor skills than preschoolers who got less sleep and more screen time.

Working with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Louisiana State University, Staiano was part of a team that created the Painted Playgrounds Toolkit, a digital download that allows educators and parents to create outdoor play spaces for a socially distanced pandemic era. A simple stencil kit for parents and teachers to use when playgrounds are off-limits, the designs require only chalk or paint and can be applied to any flat surface. They include hopscotch games, number searches and other diversions designed to entertain while also encouraging kids in a family or pandemic “pod” to walk, hop, jump and run together.

For parents looking for more ideas to help their kids get moving, the Internet is packed with resources like the painted playgrounds tool kit — and many of them are also free or very low-cost. SpiderFit Kids is on online youth fitness program run by health-care professionals from which parents can download free activity guides and training programs for kids ages 5-12; Boks gives teachers and parents a 12-week fitness curriculum designed for growing bodies.

The American Council on Exercise does not yet have data available on how pediatric obesity rates have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but Bryant predicts that there will be a noticeable uptick.

“Reason would tell us that as children are less active, those obesity rates will increase and go in the direction that we don’t desire,” he said.

Parents, many of whom are already juggling working from home while caregiving and attempting to manage online schooling, shouldn’t consider managing their children’s weight as an additional task, Bryant said. For families to really succeed at getting and staying healthy, rather, they need to shift their entire perspectives on what it means to move enough, and what their relationship to food is. And that means doing it together, without guilt of feelings or burden attached. The parents need to lead the way.

“Behavior Change Science 101 is that the parents need to look at this as a collaborative relationship with their children,” said Bryant, adding that parents should focus on movement activities their kids enjoy and on what inspires them to get out of the house.

Then, they should do those things together. If their kids like riding bikes, weekend rides should be a priority. If they love climbing trees or playing tag, ditto. Parents should tap into what motivates their kids and then keep the momentum rolling.

Like all things in parenting, the key to exercise and staying healthy can be broken down into one simple rule, Bryant said.

“Find joy in the activity. That’s how you make it sustainable.”

Debra Kamin is an award-winning journalist based in San Diego.

By Debra Kamin

Reebok to Donate 5% of All Kids Footwear to Get Children Active and Healthy

Reebok to Donate 5% of All Kids Footwear to Get Children Active and Healthy

Brand Partners with DSW to Support BOKS and Increase its Impact in Underserved Communities

(BOSTON, MA) OCTOBER 1, 2020 — Starting today, Reebok will donate 5% of all Kids Footwear sales on its US ecommerce site to BOKS(Build Our Kids’ Success) to bring physical activity and wellness opportunities to more children. Reebok aims to use this funding to build on its10-year partnership with BOKS and reverse the negative physical, mental and social health impacts that a largely sedentary lifestyle has hadon this generation. This funding commitment will be directed to underserved communities, particularly racially diverse communities, that face more barriers to fitness and sport.

In addition, Reebok has partnered with DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse®, to bring BOKS’ free physical activity resources to familiesand educators across the country. Through DSW’s mission-focused platform DSWGives, the retailer is focused on empowerment,resilience, wellness, education and more, with a long standing commitment to giving back to communities across the nation. Each month,the brands will release BOKS Fitness Calendars which provide kids with daily activity and play no matter their learning environment due toCOVID-19. As part of the partnership with DSW, for every pair of shoes purchased at a DSW store or DSW.com, customers will receive alink to download the BOKS calendars! To date, the relationship has brought in over 500 customers views.

“Working with BOKS over the past 10 years, we’ve seen the impact daily physical activity has on children and yet, daily physical education and play continue to lose funding and support,” said Chris Froio, Senior Vice President, Reebok North America. “As the leading fitness brand, we are increasing our commitment to BOKS in a time when families need it most. Weare proud that DSW has joined our efforts and look forward to working together to make a difference in kids lives across the country.”

“Giving back has always been part of DSW’s brand DNA and we’re committed to positively impacting communities in the U.S. and acrossthe world,” said DSW CMO Amy Stevenson. “We partnered with Reebok to help frontline workers at the start of the pandemic and we are thrilled to partner with them again to support children’s movement through BOKS.”

The BOKS program, which has been part of the Reebok brand since 2010, has impacted more than 500,000 kids over the last 10-years,improving whole child health and priming their minds for learning. Built on the science and research documented in the book, Spark: TheRevolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, BOKS provides free physical activity curriculum, training and support to communities that want to establish and maintain impactful fitness and nutrition programs serving the whole child. In addition, BOKS has:

Expanded its program to offer before, during and after school physical activity curricula as well as virtual at-homeresources and BOKS recess for parents to keep kids active;
Broadened its reach beyond elementary school to middle school, high school, early childhood, and more recentlyannounced its inclusive resources, for children with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with Special Olympics;
Launched a grant program to provide funding to schools in underserved communities;
Conducted long-term research of the program’s efficacy with research partners including Mass General Hospital forChildren, Harvard School of Public Health, National Institute of Out of School Time and others;
Published validation of positive physical, mental and socioemotional impact on kids in the American Journal of PreventativeMedicine and Journal of Exercise Sports and Orthopedics;
Received recognition from Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Active Schools

“Physical activity is a critical piece of overall wellness and mental health,” said Kathleen Tullie, founder and executive director of BOKS. “I am so grateful to have found brands that not only supports that mission, but that are dedicating resources to reverse physical inactivity trends across the globe.” “This partnership is an example of what can happenwhen non-profit and for-profit businesses come together under one shared vision and work towards a common goal.”

Support from WNBA Star Lexie Brown:

“Sports have always been one of my biggest sources of confidence. I consider myself self-motivated, but sports have really allowed me to setgoals that I want to achieve throughout my life. Basketball has changed my life. I am so blessed to have had the influence of my dad whilegrowing up, but I know there are so many kids that don’t get to experience that. BOKS is special because it is for everyone. You don’t have tobe an all-star athlete to do it. Every kid should be exposed to the power of health and wellness like I was. Programs like these can change a kid’spath in so many ways and I am so excited to support BOKS and Reebok on their mission to reach more underserved kids in the next 10years.”

Media Contacts

Dan Sarro, Reebok daniel.sarro@reebok.com

About Reebok

Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Boston, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness andlifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with arich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming that enable movement so people can fulfilltheir potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s functionaltraining, running, combat training, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage andrepresents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market.

For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com, or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/

Discover Reebok at the following locations: https://www.instagram.com/reebok/; http://twitter.com/reebok; and http://youtube.com/reebok

About BOKS

In today’s screen obsessed culture, kids are the least active generation in history. This sedentary lifestyle is negatively impacting both theirphysical, mental and social health. BOKS is a physical activity program designed to reverse this public health crisis by getting kids active andestablishing a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. Built on the science and research documented in the book, Spark: The RevolutionaryNew Science of Exercise and the Brain, BOKS provides free physical activity curriculum, training and support to communities looking toestablish and maintain impactful fitness and nutrition programs serving the whole child. Having grown from a single elementary school to aglobal initiative, BOKS is scalable, and its impact is supported by scientific research. BOKS envisions a world in which movement is afoundational part of every child’s day. For more information about BOKS visit www.bokskids.org.

ABOUT DSW

DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse is a leading branded footwear and accessories retailer offering a wide selection of brand name anddesigner dress, casual and athletic footwear and accessories for women, men and kids. DSW operates more than 500 locations in 44 statesand operates a robust ecommerce website at www.dsw.com, a mobile site at m.dsw.com and via mobile app. Founded in 1991, DSW is adivision of Columbus, Ohio-based Designer Brands Inc.

$10,000 Defenders of Physical Activity Award

UPDATE: 12/14/20 – We are thrilled to announce that BOKS has awarded over $200,000 to more than 90 schools and non-profit youth organizations in underserved communities in the U.S. These grants will help support BOKS programming and other health and wellness initiatives during the 2020-21 school year. As such, our grant program is now closed and we will not be accepting any additional applications at this time.

Please check back in Summer 2021 for additional grant opportunities for the next school year. We will announce our next grant program on our own website and social media channels first so be sure to follow us for the most up to date information!

At BOKS, we envision a world in which physical activity is part of every child’s day.

As our world has changed, so have schools and physical activity – which is why we are thrilled to announce that we are awarding a $10,000 Defenders of Physical Activity Award!

Anyone running BOKS — schools, nonprofit youth organizations, or nonprofit — are allowed to apply. While BOKS continues to provide free physical activity resources that can be used both in-person and remotely, we also wanted to find a way to recognize the schools and organizations in a BIG WAY! All we ask is that you are running some variation of our program – our traditional program, BOKS bursts or some combination of the two.

We know that all programs serving kids are very different this year due to COVID. Existing BOKS programs, and the trainers who run those programs, are adapting physical activity to serve students in all learning scenarios, whether remote, hybrid, or in-person with social distancing. To us, these all-star BOKS programs are real-life superheroes.

The Fall 2020 BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity award will recognize one exemplary BOKS program that not only changes the health and wellness of kids in their community but sets an example for other schools and nonprofit youth organizations to do the same. We want to hear from you and learn how you’ve creatively adapted the BOKS’ program to suit the needs of your current learning environment.

Still not sure if you should apply?! What do you have to lose? Only $10,000!

Remember! How you spend the money is completely up to the discretion of school or community. Are nutritious meals difficult to serve to kids due to being remote? Use this funding to help feed your students. Is there a lack of electronic devices for kids to be in school remotely? Whatever the scenario you are dealing with we want to help!

The winner of the Fall 2020 BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity will receive:

A $10,000 grant for your school or non-profit youth organization;
A “Defender of Physical Activity” Trophy for the school;
BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” T-shirts for BOKS trainers and all enrolled program students;
BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” medals for all enrolled participants;
Press release template for school to share with local media.

Ready to apply? Please be sure to prepare the following:

Describe how you’re using the BOKS program in 300-400 words. Include how you’ve adapted BOKS to your hybrid/remote learning environment, how many kids you’ve been able to keep moving with BOKS and why your school’s program should be considered.
If possible, share 2-3 photos or 1 short video clip highlighting either the in-person or virtual program you’ve implemented (must have permission from school to post / share on our channels and consent forms from the children’s parents/guardians who are featured).
Submissions can be sent via email to: christene.lyons@bokskids.org. Subject line: BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity Award Submission.
Must provide permission for a BOKS team member to virtually visit your class this year. Advance notice of visit will be provided and mutually agreed upon between the school’s trainer and BOKS’ team member.

Submissions must be made no later than 11:59pm EST November 30, 2020, and can be submitted by or on behalf of the BOKS program trainers.

CREATING HEALTHY SNACKS FROM YOUR HARVEST

Come September, beyond thoughts of back to school, all I can think about is my garden HARVEST. Back in April when I started my seedlings, the thought of the HARVEST was far off, but now that it’s here, all I start to think about is the yummy delicious items I can make with my HARVEST. Given that September is also back to school time, I want to devote this blog to ways to snack through your HARVEST.

One of the simplest if not the most fun way to snack through your HARVEST is what I would call grazing. Grazing in the kitchen is something that we don’t want to be doing that often. But grazing in the garden is something totally different, healthy even. While HARVESTING your crops, there is nothing more pleasing than eating a bean or tomato straight off the vine. Peas (even though they are an early season crop) are great for a grazing kid to snack on. Nasturtiums are a very pretty, edible, vining flowers that are a great addition to the garden. They can be picked daily to dress up a salad or eaten right off the vine.

Whether you had a garden or not, now is a great time to include extra veggies into snacks. If you can’t pick your own vegetables at home, or a community garden, look into the many farmers’ markets that are full of fresh veggies (especially at HARVEST time).

Below is a list of ways to engage your children and at the same time create some healthy snacks for school:

1- Make your own Pizza. Ask your child what ingredients that you can pick from your garden that would make great pizza toppings. Or do a mini scavenger hunt for those ingredients at a farmers’ market. Ideas include: Tomatoes, basil, spinach, oregano, peppers, onions. These items can be sautéed into a sauce, or go straight onto the pizza dough with a little added cheese.

2- Veggie Platter – Ask your child what type of vegetables they would like on a veggie platter. Depending on the vegetables that are picked from the garden or farmers’ market, you can challenge your child to use the veggies to make a design or make some Veggie Bugs – use this recipe for inspiration!

3- When I have a big zucchini crop, there are lots of recipes for zucchini that can be used as snacks. Zucchini bread/muffins is something that I make and freeze so I can have on-hand for after school snacks.

Zucchini “Bread” Muffin Recipe:

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups finely grated, unpeeled, zucchini

Preheat oven to 350
Gather muffin tins or bread pan
Large Bowl – Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt
Small Bowl – Whisk eggs into oil, vanilla – stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined.
Fold in shredded Zucchini and fill muffin tins or bread pan ¾ full.
Bake 20-22 min – until toothpick comes out clean.
Options: add ½ cup mini chocolate chips before baking to make sweeter OR substitute ¾ cup sugar to make less sweet. Can also add 1/3 cup applesauce for the cooking oil.

4- Zucchini fries are another quick and easy way to snack. For a more substantial snack, if you have a vegetable peeler, you can peel the zucchini into thin strips that can be used as a pasta. America’s Test Kitchen has a fabulous recipe for Zucchini Crisps which is geared for kids ages 5-8.

5- Tomatoes – if you grew tomatoes it is highly likely that you have an overwhelming amount of tomatoes (even if you and your kids snacked on them while picking). For a quick, fun snack you can pair up some cherry tomatoes with mozzarella balls on a toothpick. If you grew the big tomatoes, you can take a slice and put it on top of an English muffin half with a slice of cheese for a quick and easy pizza.

There are so many ways to use the Harvest from your garden. Please share ideas that you and your child have come up with on our BOKS Trainer Community Facebook group.

Happy Harvesting – Happy Snacking

HEATHER CHASE
BOKS Mentor Team & Outreach