Miles for Smiles

"At our small, alternative middle and high school, we do not have a gym or very much athletic equipment. Once a week we take the students to one of the community gyms so that they can play basketball and get a little bit of exercise, since a healthy lifestyle is conducive to a good learning environm..." more»

"At our small, alternative middle and high school, we do not have a gym or very much athletic equipment. Once a week we take the students to one of the community gyms so that they can play basketball and get a little bit of exercise, since a healthy lifestyle is conducive to a good learning environment.

Of course, not all the students play basketball. In the past, the students who chose not to play merely sat on the bleachers for an hour. It was a good social experience, but not much in the way of exercise.

This year, several of the teachers started walking laps during gym time. We have encouraged the students to join us. As a result, some students have walked and run as much as three miles each week, and last week we had 100% student participation either playing basketball or walking. Students who walk or run laps are recognized during our daily morning announcements, and the student with the most laps receives an award at our awards ceremony each month.

Unfortunately, the only way we have of keeping up with the laps is to have someone, either student or staff, count them manually as each person circles the gym. It would be enormously helpful to us, as well as motivational for the students, if we could have a pedometer for each student. That way, they could track their own laps, and keep a running total of how well they are doing.

We have had as many as 18 students walking and running on any given day. For some students the laps have become competitive, with an attempt to out-run or -walk one another. For other students, it is seen as a chance to better their own personal bests. Since many of our students struggle with both academics and behavior, walking laps has become a way to succeed in school, and has led to further successes inside the classroom. A set of 20 pedometers would greatly enhance this experience and allow it to continue to grow as a way to help these disaffected students. hide»