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Our school was built over fifteen years ago. The facility houses more than 1,100 students and 100 instructional staff members. We have a weight room, but it is devoid of any semblance of exercise training equipment. Our school intends to create a space to maximize this empty space, allowing ample opportunity for our students and teachers to get moving in a year that has left many isolated and sidelined by virtual learning. Extensive research shows that exercise is essential to the mental and physical health of those individuals in our schools. According to the American Psychological Association, young people who exercise more have “lower levels of depression, stress and psychological distress, and higher levels of positive self-image, life satisfaction and psychological well-being.” By creating an exercise room, we will also provide an opportunity to offer flexibility in educators’ balancing their time, which in turn will maximize their planning and instructional design. According to the World Health Organization, physical activity plays a fundamental role in whole-body and mental health of individuals, especially considering that recent changes in daily routines due to the pandemic have led to an increased level of physically inactive lifestyle and anxiety. As far as materials go, we are specifically asking for a treadmill, elliptical, exercise bike, two weight benches, and varying free weights. There are advantages for both Students and Teachers: For students, we will see increased mental and physical health, Increase the number of spaces available to safely exercise, and provide a safe space to decompress and reduce anxiety. For teachers, we will see increased mental and physical health, community building with staff, and we will maximize flexibility and resources for teachers, resulting in more efficient instructional design practices.
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