2011 Resource Conference
Good to Great: Reshaping our Future
The 2011 PE4life Resource Conference was held in Overland Park, Kansas on October 10-11. School and Community representatives from 22 states attended this two-day event that featured Robyn Bretzing from Timpanogos High School from the Alpine School District in Utah as the Keynote Speaker. Robyn challenged the audience to take their daily practice to the next level – from good to great - and her infectious enthusiasm had event attendees on their feet dancing and moving throughout the day. PE4life hosted over 230 PE professionals and school representatives, providing 35 breakout and activity sessions that included presentations from Jean Blaydes of Action Based Learning, Aaron Hart of SPARK and Dr. Curt Hinson, renowned physical education consultant, as well as an Equipment Symposium that featured 25 equipment and programming vendors. Topics ranged from Cognitive Candy: How PE can create a Sweet Tooth for Learning; Maximizing Transition Times in Elementary PE; Rising to the Challenge: Connecting Health and Academics; and Assess This! Standards Based Assessment for the Real World.
Download a complete description of each session here.
Download handouts and presentations here.
PE4life Hosts Successful Professional Development for Arkansas Schools
Last week, PE4life hosted two events with guest speaker Jean Blaydes Madigan, Neurokinesiologist/Consultant/M.Ed, international speaker, and noted author of “Thinking on Your Feet: A Year’s Worth of Lesson Plans” and “Action Based Learning™ Lab Manual.”
Jean introduced exciting new brain research that supports the importance of movement in the learning process. This latest research advocates for and justifies daily quality physical education and/or movement in the classroom. Jean uses fun and exciting games, fitness, and rhythmic activities to demonstrate how to boost a child's brain power, how to prepare the brain for optimum learning, and how to improve memory and retention while reinforcing the classroom teacher's curriculum. Read more about these events!
2010 Resource Conference
The 2010 PE4life Resource Conference was held in Overland Park, Kansas on October 4-5. Expanding to a two full-day event, PE4life hosted over 225 physical education professionals, school administrators and health officials from 21 different states across the nation and two foreign countries. Attendees participated in over 30 presentations and activity sessions, as well as an Equipment Symposium consisting of 27 reputable equipment and programming vendors. The event included keynote presentations from Jean Blaydes Madigan and David Spurlock featuring “Advocacy in Action: Keys to Success.” Additional enhanced sessions included Naperville (IL) District 203’s “Learning Readiness PE”; Grundy Center (IA) Community School District’s “Creating a Climate for Success”; and Activity Sessions led by SPARK and Project Adventure.
Download a complete description of each session here.
View handouts and presentations from the event here.
Mississippi Community Presentation Featuring Action Based Learning
Building Better Student Brains in Mississippi through Movement
On Monday, May 3rd PE4life hosted 175 physical educators, classroom teachers and health and wellness officials from across the state of Mississippi. With the support of Senator Roger Wicker and the Department of Education and The Century Council, Jean Blaydes Madigan of Action Based learning demonstrated the link between brain activity and the learning process, and got everyone on their feet participating in fun activities!
2010 PE4life / IBC Adopt-A-School Challenge Summit
On Monday, April 12th over 150 people representing 40 school districts attended the PE4life / IBC Adopt-A-School Challenge in Des Moines. The day featured guest keynote speaker and nationally renowned physical education activist, Artie Kamiya, and a number of learning opportunities from the area’s leading physical education professionals. The breakout sessions included topics from obtaining funding and community support, quality assessment and feedback tools used in PE and a number of activity sessions targeting fitness-related topics and ideas for maximizing physical activity time. Additionally, 13 equipment vendors showcased their products to the attendees.
The day was highlighted by the introduction to the Adopt-A-School Challenge application process. Through a partnership of PE4life and the Iowa Business Council (IBC), the Challenge seeks to develop an enriched culture of active, healthy lifestyles in elementary and secondary school children through Iowa. This partnership provides select schools the opportunity to directly enhance their physical education programs through professional development, training and ongoing support, and equipment grants. It is the goal of this partnership to provide scholarships to 50 schools who are ready and willing to improve. On hand to show support for the project were representatives from the Iowa Business Council including members from Hy-Vee, Inc., The Wellmark Foundation and Iowa Health Systems.
This day was made possible by funding from The US Department of Education and the Century Council and through continued support by Senator Tom Harkin.
2009 PE4life Resource Conference
Getting Results: The PE4life Experience
The conference kicked-off with soccer hall-of-famer and Olympic Gold Medalist, Julie Foudy as the keynote speaker at the PEP Rally dinner on October 4th. This dinner set the stage for the following day with an introduction to PE4life and their panel of physical education experts. The PE4life Resource Conference continued the following day at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, KS. Throughout the day, attendees were encouraged to attend a list of breakout sessions including: Quality Programming on a Shoestring Budget; Equipment 101: What works and how to implement it into your program; Learning Readiness PE: Collaboration with Math and English; Implementing Quality PE in an Elementary Setting; Fundraising on a Dime; Action Based Learning Lab, Exergaming and Academic Results and many more. Participants were also given the opportunity to meet with more than 30 top equipment company representatives as they showcased their products and offered special promotions.
2009 PE4life Summit
PE4NWA: Building Healthy Communities – One at a Time
The Summit began on Thursday, June 18 with a showcase dinner, PE4NWA: Building Healthy Communities – One at a Time in Bentonville. The dinner recognized regional champions as well as demonstrated a model for community-wide initiatives across the country. The event continued on Friday, June 19th at Old High Middle School in Bentonville with the PE4life Summit®, Getting Results: The PE4life Experience. Educators and community leaders who are ready to transform the overall health and wellness of their students, citizens, and employees are encouraged to attend. The conference featured guest speakers from ground-breaking programs such as Action Based Learning, Project Adventure and Learning Readiness PE. Attendees were also given the opportunity to meet with top equipment company representatives as they showcase their products during an equipment symposium.
2008 PEP Grant Resource Conference
Nearly 50 school districts, schools, and/ or organizations attended the 2nd annual PE4life PEP Grant Resource Conference on Friday, Sept. 19, at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. This vast variety of attendees included both past and present PEP winners, as well as those interested in applying for the PEP Grant. The conference not only gave attendees the chance to utilize PE4life’s valuable resources, but also offered the unique opportunity to meet with other people in like circumstances concerning the PEP Grant. The conference began with theintroduction of a PEP Grant Resource Panel—an array of experts who shared struggles, gave advice, and answered questions based on their own experiences working directly with the PEP Grant. The advantageous presence of resources continued into the afternoon, with the opportunity for attendees to meet and talk with more than 25 reputable equipment vendors during the equipment symposium. The attendees were asked to vote for the vendor they thought to have the most innovative, fun, or useful product.
2008 PE4life Summit
Nearly 200 business, foundation, and school leaders interested in combining efforts to combat childhood obesity and inactivity among area students attended the Kansas City PE4life Summit®: Connecting School Needs with Community Resources on Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Throughout the day, PE4life introduced an array of resources, ranging from Harvard brain researcher and author of the book SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain to an assortment of breakout sessions discussing topics such as “Advocacy: Utilizing a Community,” “Getting Equipped,” and “Funding Opportunities.