Nine Organizations Join Let's Move! Active Schools National Collaborative

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Let's Move! Active Schools – a sub-initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign – announced nine new organizations have joined its national collaborative, which is aimed at ensuring 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the new norm in K-12 schools.

Adventure to Fitness, Focused Fitness, GenMove USA, Gopher Sport and S & S Worldwide have signed on as official Let's Move! Active Schools Partners, while AASA, The School Superintendents Association, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), and the National PTA will support Let's Move! Active Schools as Educational Leadership Partners.

"These industry leaders will strengthen our ability to reach and engage schools, ultimately creating more educational, fun and sustainable Active School environments," said Charlene Burgeson, Let's Move! Active Schools Executive Director. "Each new Partner will play a substantial role in our effort to increase school-based physical activity and physical education opportunities for kids across the country."

These nine organizations join 20 other leading health, education and private sector organizations as part of the Let's Move! Active Schools national collaborative. Each Let's Move! Active Schools Partner contributes key expertise, resources, services or financial support to help transform the physical activity and physical education culture in America's schools. The collaborative also works to increase the number of schools with physical activity and physical education policies, practices and environments.

Specifically, the five new Partners will provide discounts and incentives for enrolled schools, and the four Educational Leadership Partners will mobilize their networks of school leaders, teachers and parents around the Let's Move! Active Schools statement of support.

Since its March 2013 launch, more than 15,000 schools in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have enrolled in Let's Move! Active Schools, reaching more than 9 million students.

• "AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to be an Educational Leadership Partner with the First Lady's Let's Move! Active Schools initiative. AASA has a history of promoting healthy foods and physical activity in schools which aligns well with this movement. We look forward to continuing our contribution to the health and well-being of the children we serve." – Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, AASA
• "Adventure to Fitness is honored to provide our 'healthy screen time' program to Let's Move! Active Schools and cultivate kids' love for fitness and learning. By streaming our educational exercise videos, educators can incorporate physical activity into lesson plans, breaks, and before/afterschool activities. Let's hit those 60 minutes/day!" - Michael P. Rhattigan, Chief Adventure Officer, Adventure to Fitness
• "ASCD is proud to support Let's Move! Active Schools and to be an Educational Leadership Partner. The work of Let's Move! Active Schools fits with ASCD's Whole Child approach - in particular the tenet of Healthy - and the need to promote healthy lifestyles, and develop healthy learning environments." - Deb Delisle, Executive Director & CEO, ASCD
• "As a leading developer of software and curricula for quality physical education and activity programs, Focused Fitness is honored to work alongside Let's Move! Active Schools Partners to provide custom software and curriculum solutions that empower schools to create movement opportunities and prepare students for healthy and productive lives." - Karen Cowan, Founder and CEO, Focused Fitness
• "GenMove USA is proud to partner with Let's Move! Active Schools by providing access to resources of equipment and activities that promote the success of ALL children in physical activity and education. We are thrilled to collaborate with such an amazing group of partners working to grow opportunities and solutions to help create more active, healthier generations!"  - Beth Wendt, Director, GenMove USA
• "As a strong proponent of physical education and physical activity in schools, Gopher is delighted to partner with Let's Move! Active Schools.  We look forward to the partnership and to making a positive impact on students across the country by helping them lead more active and healthy lives!" - Matt Ginskey, VP Marketing, Gopher Sport
• "Optimal learning conditions for college and career readiness include an active school environment in which students can acquire healthful habits. NASSP is proud to partner with Let's Move! Active Schools on our common goal of promoting students' physical well-being as much as their academic well-being." - JoAnn Bartoletti, Executive Director, NASSP
• "Physical activity and physical education are essential for student success and to set the stage for children for a healthy lifestyle into adulthood. PTA members and families play an important role in helping schools deliver physical activity programs, and we are pleased to join the Let's Move! Active Schools collaborative." -  Nathan R. Monell, CAE, Executive Director, National PTA
• "As the leading provider of products that promote physical activity in schools, S&S is delighted to help support Let's Move! Active Schools and its mission to increase school-based physical activity and physical education opportunities for kids across the country." - Hy Schwartz, Co-President, S&S Worldwide

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PARTNER STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
Let's Move! Active Schools Educational Leadership Partners believe that physical activity provides important health and education benefits for children and that schools have a responsibility to deliver quality physical education and physical activity programs. The Let's Move! Active Schools Educational Leadership Partners understand that schools need appropriate support and are pleased to partner with Let's Move! Active Schools, a national collaborative that helps schools integrate 60 minutes of physical activity before, during and after the school day through evidence-based tools, professional development, grants and recognition. The Let's Move! Active Schools Educational Leadership Partners encourage school leaders, teachers, staff and parents to get involved.

LET'S MOVE! ACTIVE SCHOOLS NATIONAL COLLABORATIVE
AASA (The School Superintendents Association), Action for Healthy Kids, Adventure to Fitness, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Athletes for Hope, BOKS, ChildObesity180, Focused Fitness, GenMove USA, GENYOUth Foundation, GoNoodle, Good Sports, Gopher Sport, Kaiser Permanente, KIDS in the GAME, Let's Move!, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National PTA, NBA FIT, NIKE, Inc., Partnership for a Healthier America, President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, S&S Worldwide, SHAPE America, SPARK & Sportime, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and USA Track & Field. Find out more at www.letsmoveschools.org.

SOURCE Let's Move! Active Schools