Press release for physical education

How do you recruit support for physical education and physical educators? 

One way is to educate the public, including your fellow teachers and tax-paying citizens, of the value of what you do.

The following press release has been prepared for submission to your local media, (television, newspapers, journals, tabloids, podcasts, magazines, bloggers, influencers, ezines, positions etc.) for publication and promotion.

Simply search for the editors of local media, copy the press release, add your name to it and address the release to them and email or snail mail it.  Invite them to join you in your classes to observe what you do, why you do it and how it’s done.

There are over 36,000 physical education specialists the U. S., each one a respected influencer in their own space, if everyone would speak with one voice with a singular message this may create an understanding and demand for more P. E., more respect for the profession and potentially more support from parents, administrators, and officials who manage and make decisions on how education is delivered.

If you copy this and send it out, please report the success and response, you can be the catalyst to launch a trend of support and demand for physical education in schools.  Feel free to add your personal thoughts if you wish.

 

Dear (select one: editor, administrator, principal, senator, congress person, president)

Skinny kids need exercise, too!

I’m a (your name and position here) and advocate for youth health and fitness. I urge you to utilize your influence and resources to assist us in adding one hour a day of fun and functional exercise for every child in every school in the United States. The health of America’s children is poor—so poor that this generation is expected to be the first in our country’s history to experience a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This is unacceptable and will cost our society dearly if left as it is.

While there is currently considerable attention being paid to the obesity crisis in the United States, the fact is that every child needs an hour of exercise every day, whether they are overweight or not. Messaging on the "obesity crisis" has been going on for decades resulting in increased obesity rates, so this is not working. Research and day-to-day experience show us that an hour of exercise a day has countless benefits for our nation’s youth, including improving a child’s academic achievement by up to an impressive 40%. While the U.S. spends billions attempting to improve test scores, an opportunity to improve them for free lies in fitness. The U.S. is also spending hundreds of millions to prevent bullying, but kids who exercise an hour a day have higher self-esteem and are not as susceptible to being bullied, being bullies themselves or committing suicide due to being bullied.

As mentioned, thousands of non-profits and government organizations are attempting to combat childhood obesity—we can address this too at little to no cost with daily exercise in schools. But that’s not all: Children who enjoy an hour of exercise a day experience fewer behavioral issues at school and at home, fewer medical issues, lower obesity rates, less stress, lower suicide rates and reduced symptoms of ADHD. They also sleep better, make healthier dietary choices, enjoy sports and play with fewer injuries and will become healthier citizens and more productive members of society in the future than they would without regular fitness throughout their youth.  All children can enjoy all of these benefits, and all it takes is one hour a day of exercise in school. 

Schools are the perfect place to implement and nurture this lifestyle change; most of the children in the U.S. attend school almost every weekday, teachers and facilities are present to accommodate physical education instructors who have access to the resources needed to assist school staff with program development and execution.

Parents, teachers and concerned citizens need to be educated on the physiological and psychological benefits of daily fitness for our children and activity request their schools provide daily exercise to our children—the next great generation of Americans. That’s all it takes to make a difference.

For information and links to research, please visit: www.1houraday.org

Sincerely,

(Your name here)