Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA)

Training for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) PALA Coordinators February 3, 2011

Message from the Director

I want to challenge every BIE school to join President Obama in combating childhood obesity through the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) program. I believe that physical fitness is a key component to a happy and successful life. It is known that sound physical fitness lends itself to better physical, mental and emotional health. I am deeply concerned about the statistics facing our children today when it comes to obesity and other health related illnesses. I believe that through Learning, Leadership and Service, we can combat obesity and other related health disparities to provide a better way of life for the future of our youth.

It is my hope, that the BIE schools and especially the PALA Coordinators will lead the way in Indian Country to provide an example for all of our communities to follow.

Objectives of Training

• • • Educate PALA Coordinators on the BIE PALA Challenge Equip PALA Coordinators with tools, support, and resources to be successful Get motivated

Learning Outcomes

• • • • • Obtain understanding of the PALA challenge Obtain understanding the BIE PALA challenge goal Understand PALA Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities Learn how to use PALA resources and tools Develop a school PALA work plan

The President’s Challenge

What is the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge (PALA)?

• • Six week individual fitness challenge For everyone (all ages)

How can PALA helps students?

• • • Commit to daily physical activity-and stick with it Set realistic goals to encourage fitness for a lifetime Establishing an active lifestyle received direct recognition through this award

What is the goal?

• • 1 Million PALA Challenge Develop lifelong habits

What type of activity counts?

• Any activity that causes all or most of the body to move, resulting in increased heart rate and breathing, can be chosen. Activities can be done alone, in physical education classes, on a team, or with friends or family.

Amount of Activity

• Accumulate a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity (children)/30 minutes (adults). This can be done at all at one time or in shorter segments throughout the day.

Frequency

• Five days a week is the minimum standard for the award.

Number of Weeks

• Six weeks of eight weeks, five days per week is the standard for the award.

The Award

• E-certificate signed by the co-chairs of the President’s Council on Health and Fitness, Drew Bress and Dominique Dawes. Coordinators will type in student names and information. Other certificates may be ordered at an additional cost to the school (optional). Certificates and awards can be ordered at https://www.presidentschallenge.org/shop/category.php?cat=0

Earning Additional PALA’s

• Participants are encouraged to continue earning additional awards by tracking their physical activity throughout the year

Other Incentives

• Any BIE schools participating in the General Mills "Box Top for Schools" program, may contact General Mills and request a Family Fitness Night kit including posters, info, soft soccer ball, jump ropes, etc. When the school completes the family fitness night, General Mills will send them around 125 certificates, patches, and seal stickers. The Family Fitness night is a great idea to start the PALA kick-off event at your school • BTFE_FFN_Guide201011.pdf

The BIE Challenge

What is the goal?

• 25,000 PALA champions across Indian Country

When does the PALA challenge start for BIE?

• Special BIE Challenge: Starts February 14, 2011 and Ends April 11, 2011 (8 weeks to complete 6 weeks of activity) • Anytime Challenge: Can be started any time on any day and schools can have as many PALA challenges as they want • Note: In order to support the 1 million challenge, must complete PALA by June 17, 2011

Other than the Presidential Award, will participating BIE schools win anything else?

• BIE schools will compete with each other to see who can get the most individuals to complete the PALA. In addition to the President’s Award, schools have the chance to receive a number of other honor’s, including a school site visit by a professional athlete.

Roles & Responsibilities

PALA Coordinator

• • • • • • Organize enrollment Coordinate special PALA physical activity events (example: Host a PALA walk for everyone at your school) Distribute and collect paper activity tracking logs Tally results for school Submit completed tracking logs to [email protected]

Notify [email protected]

any best practices, or newsworthy stories that might be press related material of

Participant

• Individual participants are responsible for tracking their daily individual activity using the paper tracking log provided by their PALA coordinator and handing in the completed form after 6 weeks to the PALA coordinator

Getting Started

Step 1: Register your school using the provided form BIE Registration Form 2.2.11.pdf

Step 2: Help ensure that your school participates in the BIE PALA launch live via ElkNET on Feb. 10 th Step 3: Plan a PALA Kick-Off event at your school to get staff, teachers, administrators, students and the community involved Step 4: Provide all participants with the tracking log and devise a schedule during the school day (in partnership with teachers) to spend time completing the log every day PALA Info w Log LM Indian Country DRAFTv5AR.pdf

Keeping it Going

• Step 1: Provide your school with a weekly progress report (highlight best practices, share ideas for new activities, be a motivator and example for all) • Step 2: Help ensure that your school participates by ElkNET in other PALA related announcements (Dates TBA) • Step 3: Participate in weekly BIE PALA conference calls (Dates TBA) to ensure you receive all of the important updates and support you need to be successful

Wrapping it Up

Step 1: Collect, tally, and submit final results to the [email protected]

email address using the final tracking form provided Step 2: Organize a PALA Awards ceremony Step 3: Report your school’s success, stories, highlights to [email protected]