Activity Works Gets Results

Activity Works offers cloud-based delivery of their program
Starting this month, Activity Works will have the capability to stream all of their episodes directly to school classrooms, after school program partners or even individual homes via the internet. Powered by Microsoft, classroom teachers will have the opportunity to play Activity Works episodes through their smartboards or promethian boards just by clicking "play" on the Activity Works website.

Activity Works implements web tool to track program usage in the classroom
Activity Works developed a performance tracker to automatically track teacher use in the classroom. Every time an Activity Works episode is streamed into a classroom, the minutes of participation are recorded and translated into calories burned. Schools and districts are excited about this technology because it shows which classrooms are getting an appropriate amount of daily exercise. It also gives school districts the data they need to show that they are reaching state mandates for physical education.

Activity Works has an opportunity to work with “Healthy Schools” in New York City
Thanks to a generous grant from The New York Community Trust, Activity Works was able to provide their program free of charge to schools who participate in the Healthy Schools program. The Healthy Schools Program, which has more than 100 participating schools, strives to improve the overall health and wellness of every student.

The New York Community trust funds a second year of Activity Works in New York City
For a second year in row, The New York Community Trust has generously sponsored Activity Works in the New York City School District by providing an additional 3,000 students with an opportunity to get exercise during the school day. This year’s effort will primarily focus on the boroughs of Brooklyn and the Bronx, where children will participate in 10 minute, curriculum-themed motor breaks in their classroom.
Last year, teachers in Queens stated how their children were more focused, attentive and better behaved as a result of their participation in the Activity Works program.

Study successful in Camden, Trenton and Atlantic City pilot
During the 2010-2011 school year, Activity Works was implemented into nearly 100 classrooms in five Southern New Jersey school districts. The results of the study deemed Activity Works to be very successful for these districts, especially when Activity Works was done three or more times per week. Some of the positive results include:

• May 2011

  A New York City research study yields promising results with 3000+ students
  During the 2010-2011 school year, New York Community Trust funded Activity Works Demonstration Project serving more than 3,000 students in New York City. The study report had very encouraging results, especially when teachers used the Activity Works program three or more times per week. Here are some of the research results:

  • Apr 2011

    Activity Works starts expanding into the Midwest
    A select group of first, second and third grade students in Des Moines, Iowa will get the chance to experience the benefits of Activity Works in their school. The school district decided to implement the program into their daily routine to incorporate more aerobic exercise in the school day. The school expects to see the added benefit of improved focus, attention and behavior, which have been linked to increased physical activity.

  • Mar 2011

    Schools in Philadelphia and Boston implement Activity Works
    Activity Works has now moved north into Boston and west into Philadelphia, where a total of 750 students will get the chance to get healthier and fit. Teachers will use Activity Works on a daily basis to promote healthy bodies and healthy minds during the school day. The participating Principals and Teachers are passionate about giving children the appropriate amount of physical education time as mandated by the states of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. They also believe that the increase in physical

  • Feb 2011

    Trenton, Camden, Atlantic City, and Asbury Park implement Activity Works.
    Activity Works has been implemented in nearly 100 classrooms in five Southern New Jersey school districts. Teachers will use Activity Works on a daily basis to promote healthy bodies and healthy minds during the school day. The participating Principals and Teachers are passionate about giving children the appropriate amount of physical education time as mandated by the state of New Jersey. They also believe that the increase in physical activity will heighten their ability to focus, leading to improved academic performance.

  • Feb 2011

    Hartford City School District is moving forward with a plan to implement in 5 schools.
    With support from the District Office of Health Services, five elementary schools are implementing Activity Works in nine grade K-3 classrooms each. The initiative has the backing of each school Principal and is supported by the school nurse, Physical Education teacher and classroom teachers.

  • Jan 2011

    Education World interviews Activity Works VP.
    click here to read article

  • Jan 2011

    The Lowenstein Foundation funds Activity Works evaluation design in New York City schools
    The Lowenstein Foundation has tapped Activity Works to create a roadmap for evaluating the benefits of physical activity over specified periods of time. The foundation ultimately hopes to develop scientific methods that prove that there is in fact a direct link between aerobic exercise and improved academic performance in children. There are several published studies that suggest aerobic exercise increases brain function and the ability to receive and retain information.

  • Dec 2010

    Diocese of Rockville Center, NY (52 schools) expands implementation of Activity Works.
    Based upon a successful pilot in nine schools during the spring of 2010, the Diocesan Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum recommended that all Diocesan elementary schools implement Activity Works as a way to improve wellness and academic performance. Site-based decisions have brought a growing number of schools into the Activity Works cohort.

  • Dec 2010

    Walmart funds additional 85 classrooms in southern New Jersey’s largest districts.
    Based on the success of the NJ Demonstration Project, Walmart is seeding an additional 85 classrooms in southern New Jersey’s largest districts. The northern New Jersey Districts that participated during the 2009/2010 school year cited an increase in student attention, focus and behavior due to their involvement with the program. The children also received an additional 30-50 minutes

  • Nov 2010

    Seven NYC Schools implement Activity Works.
    Schools have begun implementation of Activity Works in 110 classrooms in Queens, New York City. Site selection and training have been completed. The teachers are actively using Activity Works and finding the program to be beneficial. After just 4-6 weeks, teachers are already seeing improvements in their student’s attention, focus and behavior. The teachers are also reporting how much the children are enjoying Activity Works and how they ask for it on a daily basis

  • Sep 2010

    New York Community Trust funds Activity Works Demonstration Project in 110 New York City classrooms.
    Click here to read article

  • Jul 2010

    Newark school’s participation in Activity Works get’s the attention of the Deputy Mayor
    Click here to read article

  • Jul 2010

    Activity Works research study with 3,000 students yields results
    During the 2009-2010 school year, a NJ/NY Wellness Project serving more than 3000 students in large prospect districts yielded the following research results:

    • Jun 2010

      Woodbridge Mayor attends assembly focused around Activity Works participation in school.
      Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac attended an assembly celebrating the school’s successful year-long pilot with the Activity Works program. Mayor McCormac listened to Principal John Bader talk about how the teachers and children embraced the curriculum-based, aerobic-exercise driven program. He then watched the 100+ children perform an Activity Works segment in unison. He encouraged the children to continue to exercise and choose a healthy diet.

    • Apr 2010

      US Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy states that Activity Works could be model for a national program
      Click here to read article

    • Nov 2009

      Newark, Jersey City, Woodbridge, Phillipsburg, Old Bridge and West New York implement Activity Works.
      Seven school districts in northern New Jersey began using Activity Works as a way to incorporate more aerobic exercise in the school day. The schools expect to see the added benefit of improved focus, attention and behavior, that have been linked to physical activity. Early reports from the administrators show an overall engagement by the teachers, who are impressed by the program’s ease of use and relevance to the subject matter being taught.

    • Oct 2009

      Activity Works approved by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for use in the Alliance Healthy Schools Program, reaching 7,800 schools nationwide.
      Following a scientific review by the American Heart Association, Activity Works was approved by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (a joint venture between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation) for use in the Alliance Healthy Schools Program, reaching 7,800 schools nationwide.

    • Sep 2009

      Activity Works accepted by New York State Department of Education as option to achieve state-mandated Physical Education requirement for grades K-3.
      

    • May 2009

      Activity Works expert testifies in front of lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the benefits of classroom activity breaks.
      Click here to read article