Does your school have a physical activity program that's made a difference in your students' health? It could be worth upwards of $100,000.
Today, a national youth obesity group launched a $500,000 competition to uncover the most effective physical activity programs at the elementary school level.
With a video introduction from first lady Michelle Obama, ChildObesity180 announced the Active Schools Acceleration Project, which will reward school-based programs and technological innovations that encourage children to be physically active.
"We know there's so much good work going on to get our kids up and moving every single day, all across this country," said Mrs. Obama in the video. "So we want to find the most effective ways that people are increasing physical activity for kids—and then help those ideas grow to scale, so that they can help even more children."
ASAP will be awarding $500,000 worth of grants in total, with a maximum individual award of $100,000. The competition will be divided into two categories: "School Programs," for in-school physical activity programs for grade K-6 students, and "Technology Innovation," which "will demonstrate how existing or emerging technology can be used to inspire kids to be physically active," according to ASAP's website.
Top grant winners will also have a chance to participate in pilot studies aimed at expanding the reach of their physical activity programs. The goal, ultimately, would be to develop model physical activity programs that other schools could easily implement.
"Many schools have found creative ways to incorporate physical activity into the daily routine of their students, helping them to build lifelong healthy habits," said Christina Economos, director of ChildObesity180, in a statement. "This competition is about recognizing those champions and identifying opportunities to bring their innovative solutions to scale."
Applications will be accepted from now through April 2 at 5 p.m., ET.
Watch Mrs. Obama's announcement of ASAP below:
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