US Games Announces Launch Of OPEN With 1,000,000 Elementary-School Age Participants
DALLAS, March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- US Games, the nation's largest provider of physical education equipment, early childhood development, physical activity and health products and services needed to outfit today's elementary or middle school, today announced the successful launch of OPEN, the Online Physical Education Network, which is based on the basic premise that every child deserves effective physical education. US Games has committed to providing the OPEN curriculum free of charge to all school districts throughout the country. OPEN was created -- and is maintained by -- a team of educators and district administrators working with SHAPE America's National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes to nurture individuals towards a lifetime of physical fitness.
The OPEN curriculum's goal is to level the playing field for all PE programs and school districts in the country by providing the program at no charge while ensuring all students are provided equal opportunities in physical education. Historically, curriculums have only been readily available to roughly ten percent of districts due to the large expense and tight school budgets. Consistent with the goal to provide equity of access of curriculums to schools, US Games also announced today the formation of "The OPEN 1-Million", an inaugural group of districts and educational agencies that support the OPEN mission and will provide OPEN training to their elementary physical education teachers in the 2015 calendar year. This means that, in less than eight months, OPEN will improve the effectiveness of physical education for over 1,000,000 students.
"My career in physical education started more than 15 years ago as a PE teacher in Brooklyn, New York," said Aaron Hart, Director of Educational Programs at US Games and co-developer of the OPEN curriculum. "On my first day there was no equipment, no curriculum, and no plan. I quickly saw a need that wasn't being served. Realizing I wasn't alone, I started writing curriculum tools to share with other teachers. That's where the idea of an equal opportunity curriculum project really began. US Games acknowledged that need and agreed to invest in a truly sustainable curriculum project as a public service to the entire physical education community."
Mr. Hart continued, "So far, the response we've received from PE teachers and school districts about OPEN has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic and positive, as it is undoubtedly the right thing to do for the entire community. The OPEN curriculum would not be possible without our team of seven physical education leaders who have selflessly donated their time and knowledge to ensure that OPEN meets the needs of children and provides the academic rigor that is required in 21st century schools."
Every OPEN activity plan provides teaching strategies, academic language tools, and depth of knowledge questioning prompts. Learning task and instructional module starts with the outcomes and provides effective tools for guiding students toward physical literacy on a measurable basis. All curriculum documents are provided in Microsoft Word format for easy editing and customization, and teachers can participate and contribute to the OPEN project by submitting activities and modules created with the templates provided. OPEN's Development Council will ensure that all content published is based on the outcomes and reflect effective practice.
In order to become involved with or learn more about the OPEN curriculum, please visit the resources listed below.
- Visit the OPEN Curriculum website
- Interact with the OPEN team via Twitter at @OPENPhysEd
- Host on-site workshops
- Become an OPEN Partner through your foundation or philanthropic organization
About US Games
For 35 years, US Games has helped PE teachers, coaches and recreation center directors get kids engaged and active with everything they need in equipment and supplies. US Games is a part of BSN Sports, the nation's largest manufacturer, marketer and distributor of sporting goods products. Visit US Games Online: www.usgames.com
Media Contact:
Heather Cole
(214) 965-9955
[email protected]
SOURCE US Games
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