BOKS Kicks Off Activation Grant Program By Offering $300,000 To New Schools To Activate The Program In Their Community

CANTON, Mass., Aug 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, BOKS (Build Our Kids' Success) is proud to announce that Reebok and The Reebok Foundation are awarding up to $300,000 in school grants around the country for the 2014/2015 school year. Now through October 1, 2014, BOKS will offer $1,000 grants to up to 300 schools in order to implement the program. Started five years ago in one Massachusetts school, BOKS has grown rapidly to 1,000 schools around the world with its free before-school physical activity program. BOKS aims to help improve kids' academic performance and overall health through physical activity and nutritional knowledge.  

The BOKS Activation Grants are intended to help Champions of Change start the program in their schools and get kids moving to wake up their bodies for a day of learning. To find out more about applying for a grant in your community, please visit www.bokskids.org/boks-talk/grants. US-based elementary and middle schools that enroll in BOKS for the first time between August 1 and October 1, 2014 are invited to apply. The funds can be used toward T-shirts, equipment, incentives, trainer stipend, travel to BOKS trainings, CPR certification or supplies.

"As we reach our milestone of 1,000 BOKS schools, we are thrilled to offer Activation Grants throughout the country to help implement our program and allow kids to experience the impact physical activity has on their day-to-day lives. Exercise is medicine and we owe it to our kids to give them a daily dose," said Kathleen Tullie, BOKS founder and executive director. "BOKS has been powerful for thousands of children, providing opportunities  to participate in physical activity, become part of a greater community, and learn about nutrition, all while impacting their results in the classroom. All it takes is one person to bring BOKS to their community – and the Activation Grants are the key to help get things started."

BOKS was started by Kathleen Tullie and a group of moms in 2009 who were inspired by Dr. John Ratey's book Spark, which provides compelling evidence that physical activity will supercharge mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen thinking and enhance memory in kids. A recent National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) study conducted on the BOKS program validates the stance that exercise, especially before school, can have a positive impact on both classroom performance and behavior. Furthermore, NIOST results from 2013 showed that BOKS participants improved significantly more than their peers on assessments of working memory.

The BOKS team has shared the stage with First Lady Michelle Obama to promote the benefits of being active and has forged important alliances with the following organizations: Let's Move Active Schools, ChildObesity180, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Shape America and Partnership for Healthier America.

For more information about BOKS and the BOKS Activation Grant, visit www.bokskids.org, the BOKS Facebook page or the BOKS Twitter handle.

ABOUT BOKS
BOKS, Build Our Kids' Success, an initiative of Reebok and The Reebok Foundation, is a free before-school physical activity program. BOKS was founded on the principle Active Kids = Active Minds, and was created by a group of moms after reading Dr. John Ratey's book Spark, which states that "exercise is the single most powerful tool that we have to optimize the function of our brains." The goal of the BOKS program is to enhance academic performance and the overall health of kids through physical activity. The program, run by moms, dads, physical education teachers and other types of volunteers in local communities, is simple to implement. BOKS is currently in 1,000 schools around the world.

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SOURCE BOKS (Build Our Kids' Success)