Advocacy Resources and Toolkits

Home and Search

Home

About Us

No Excuses! - A Documentary about Quality Physical Education

Watch our Free Documentary - "No Excuses!"

Documentary Team and Contributors

Documentary Clips with Discussion Prompts

QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY

EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES

Teaching Strategies
Planning
Assessment
Class Management

TEACHER RESOURCES

Teacher Resources
Fitness
Instructional Videos
Professional Development
Technology

Icebreakers, Teambuilding, and Conflict Resolution

Teaching Evaluation Forms for Physical Educators

Advocacy Resources and Toolkits

General Tips for Advocating QPE
Entertaining Advocacy Videos
Related Pages

Be proactive rather than reactive. If you wait until your program needs advocacy, it may be too late.
Start with easy advocacy strategies (such a school bulletin board) and have a support team.
Have a prepared "elevator speech"; you never know when when an opportunity will present itself.
Share what you do with parents (example 1 and example 2).
Communicate to stakeholders via newsletters, videos, social media, class website, Back to School Night, presentations, etc.
Collaborate with class teachers and involve their content in your classes (examples).
Get local support via petitions and invite the community to your classes.
Write blog posts and post advocacy comments on online articles related to physical education.
Respond to state and national legislation initiatives.
Provide testimony at local, state, and national forums.

Target audience for physical education advocacy

Click to Enlarge

The Importance of Physical Education

What Does Quality Physical Education Look Like?

Pledge your Support for Quality Physical Education

advocacy Resources for Quality Physical Education

ADVOCACY RESOURCES FOR parents

Active for Life: Active for Life is the place where parents go to learn about how to make a difference in the health and happiness of their children.
Commit2Ten: Join us in a nationwide campaign to commit to an additional 10 minutes of physical activity a day!
OutsidePlay: An online tool to help parents and caregivers gain the confidence to allow their kids to engage in more outdoor play.
PACES Day: PACES Day teaches families an important message, which is why it has already received positive attention in the media. A family that exercises together, spends quality time together while leading a healthy lifestyle.
Parents for Healthy Schools: CDC has developed a set of resources to help schools and school groups engage parents to create healthy school environments.
Safe Routes: Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school.
StartSchoolLater.net: Resources for advocating later school start times that align with students' physiology.
Voice for Healthy Kids: Check out ways to begin your involvement, including accessing campaign toolkits and grant opportunities and joining our advocacy network.

Parent Myths, and Real Truths, About Physical Literacy

Resources for creating advocacy videos

Example Video Using MySimpleShow

RESOURCES FOR CLASS NEWSLETTERS AND WEBSITES

It is important for teachers to inform parents and administrators about the great things they teach their students in their quality physical education classes. Newsletters and websites can educate parents and administrators about what you do in your class, why it is important, and how they can support your efforts at home. These advocacy efforts can help garner support for your program from parents and administration if budget cuts become a threat.

Resources

Examples

rESOURCES FOR PRESENTING TO A SCHOOL BOARD

Share local, state, and national requirements/recommendations.
Share the multitude of research studies that support physical education.
Share the multitude of organizations that support physical education.
Educate your community on what quality physical education is and what it looks like.
Be prepared by knowing what the possible arguments that may be made "against" physical education (ie. ROTC/Band/Athletics waivers).
Make your presentations inclusive and collaborative.
Use personal case studies and provide testimonials from your students.
Example Presentations: Dexter Physical Education, How I Refused to Take "Cut" for any Answer, and Physical Education as a Valued and Essential Subject in the High School Curriculum: Should We Wavier? Also see this Presentation Template.

Framing the Benefits of Physical Education (article)

Physical Education related NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

National PE Institute: Organization that focuses on professional development.
President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition: The President’s Council engages, educates, and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.
SHAPE America: SHAPE America's mission is to promote and support leadership, research, education, and best practices in the professions that support creative, healthy, and active lifestyles.
SHAPE Districts: Directory of SHAPE America districts.
State SHAPE Contact Information: Links to each state's website, Facebook, and Twitter.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION RELATED International Organizations

Association for Physical Education (UK): Our purpose is to promote and maintain high standards and safe practice in all aspects and at all levels of physical education, influencing developments in physical education at national and local levels.
Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: ACHPER is concerned with the provision and quality of physical activity, recreation, personal development, health promotion and education in all education institutions from pre-primary through to the tertiary sector.
International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport, and Dance: ICHPER-SD is the largest, membership-based international and umbrella organization that includes professors, teachers, researchers, coaches, educators and administrators in the fields of HPERSD and related areas.
PHE Canada: Canada’s premier professional organization for physical and health educators since 1933.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS RELATED National Organizations

Action for Healthy Kids: Action for Healthy Kids is the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by working with schools to improve nutrition and physical activity to help our kids learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn.
Active Schools: This free online toolkit will provide you with easy-to-use resources and activities every month that will help you educate your administrators, school board members, parents and colleagues about the importance of a comprehensive school physical activity program with physical education as its foundation.
Alliance for a Healthier Generation: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a catalyst for children’s health. We work with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to transform the conditions and systems that lead to healthier kids.
Aspen Institute - Project Play: The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program created Project Play in 2013 to find ways to help all children in America become active through sports.
Change Lab Solutions - Healthier Schools: Browse our tools for developing strong local school wellness policies, increasing physical activity in schools, sharing recreational facilities, promoting Safe Routes to Schools, restricting advertising on school campuses, improving school vending and more!
Fuel Up to Play 60: Fuel Up to Play 60 is the in-school nutrition and physical activity program founded by National Dairy Council® and the National Football League, based on a mutual commitment to the health of the next generation.
Safe Routes to School: Advances policy change and catalyzes support for healthy, active communities, starting with walking and bicycling to school. We are dedicated to creating livable, sustainable communities where all people can be healthy and physically active.
PHIT America: PHIT America is a cause and campaign dedicated to increasing physical activity and fitness to improve the health of America.
Voices for Healthy Kids: These are the stories of those working to engage, organize, and mobilize communities to help all children achieve a healthy weight.

EDUCATION RELATED National Organizations

Edudemic: Covers the latest research, news, and resources for educators.
Edutopia: A comprehensive website and online community that increases knowledge, sharing, and adoption of what works in K-12 education.
informED: InformEd is a learning and teaching hub designed for educators and e-learners, featuring resources and interactive and innovative ideas for learning and trends in education as well as education technology.
Larry Ferlazzo: This is a great blog that I follow daily. His site posts articles that vary from instructional practices to current issues in education. In addition, he has a Best of Series page which has links to over 600 lists he has created for finding online resources on various topics.
National Council on Teacher Quality: The National Council on Teacher Quality advocates for reforms in a broad range of teacher policies at the federal, state and local levels in order to increase the number of effective teachers.
TeachThought: TeachThought is primarily interested in exploring new learning models, including blended learning, project-based learning, self-directed learning, and the role of play in learning while also supporting existing K-20 educators as they seek to improve their own craft in practice today.
WeAreTeachers: An online resource for lesson plans, professional development resources, grants and contests for teachers, and much more.