A popular offering: In BOKS surveys, when kids are asked if they want to come back next session, 96 per cent say yes
the profound impact of physical activity on a child’s mind, body and community. The founding principal of BOKS is that
physical activity, especially before school, can improve classroom performance and behaviour – but it also plays a positive role in the obesity epidemic and kids’ overall health and wellbeing. Each day, BOKS trainers guide kids
through a 45-minute lesson plan that includes a warm-up, a running-related activity, a skill of the week, group games and a BOKS Bit – an age- appropriate nutritional tip developed by Tufts Medical Center and designed for kids to learn and share at home.
How did the link with Reebok start? One of the members of our school board was from Reebok, and they suggested we went in to pitch for promotional items. A senior executive joined the meeting and explained that Reebok had made it a priority to reverse the culture of spectatorship to become a culture of participation. He believed we had to start with young people, and that BOKS was the perfect way to give kids around the world access to physical activity.We realised Reebok could help us reach many more children: since then, with the support of our pro-bono partners, we’ve grown to over 1,000 schools.
How is BOKS run in schools? The programme is designed to run for two 12-week sessions, once in the
October 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
autumn and then the winter/spring. However, the curriculum is created to be flexible and adaptable. There are schools that run three- to 10-week programmes, while other schools offer a BOKS drop-in programme every day during term time. In some towns, the local YMCA uses BOKS as part of its before-school programming. In others, they offer BOKS to the whole school. Of the 1,000 schools enrolled in
BOKS throughout the world, the highest concentration is in Massachusetts, US.
What difference does BOKS make? I believe that BOKS has a tremendous power to effectuate change: I had one special needs teacher tell me they’d never known anything have such an impact on the children. We also run surveys at the end of our sessions, and one question speaks volumes: when we ask if a child wants to come back next session, 96 per cent say yes. The simplicity of BOKS is what
makes it so effective. Anybody can become a BOKS trainer, from parents and teachers to nurses and custodians
– they just need the passion to make a difference in the lives of our children. All we need is one champion in every school. That’s how, together, we can make a huge difference in children’s lives. I think one of the reasons we’ve
seen success is that we’re walking the walk. In schools where we have parent trainers/volunteers, the kids are seeing
that being active isn’t only good for them but for their whole family. By looking at comments in the surveys, we notice that kids are encouraging their families to be more active. Instead of staying inside at the weekend, they’re suggesting their families go on hikes or to the park. Kids are also becoming more aware of healthy nutrition and they’re teaching their families about it. BOKS helps the younger generation
embrace the healthy habits that will help reverse the obesity epidemic over time.
How is BOKS funded? The majority of the funding currently comes via The Reebok Foundation, for which BOKS is its primary programme. We’ve also received more localised funding through organisations like The Boston Foundation.
What are your main challenges? One of the main challenges is continuing to build evidence to prove to the education system that physical activity on a daily basis is critical to academic performance, as well as the overall health and wellness of the student.
What can fitness facility operators learn from BOKS? The biggest learning is that kids like to be active when given the opportunity. If physical activity is fun and engaging, kids will come back for more. It’s our responsibility to provide opportunities.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 63
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