FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Spencer Named Director of New Head Start Body Start National Center

RESTON, VA, February 3, 2009 –– Karin H. Spencer, Ed.D. has been named director of the recently created Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play at the AAHPERD National Headquarters in Reston, VA.   The center, a key component of the Surgeon General's Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative, was created with a $12 million grant from the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to help increase a broad range of services aimed at increasing physical activity, outdoor play, and healthy eating for the nation's 900,000 Head Start children, their families and staff. Administrators of the grant are the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). 

       With nearly 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Spencer will manage all aspects of the federal Office of Head Start grant including providing professional leadership to improve the status of physical activity and nutrition practices in Head Start Centers and within the families and communities that they serve.  In addition to serving as chair of the National Center Advisory Board, she will manage the long- and short-range strategic planning as well as day-to-day operations of the staff.             

       The National Center will provide training, technical assistance, and grants of up to $5,000 to local Head Start centers to improve their outdoor play spaces. About 1500 grants (380 per year) will be given out through a request for proposals process. The funded centers will receive a two-hour in-person consultation from a physical activity expert, have the opportunity to purchase equipment from a preferred provider list of value-added equipment packages, and receive ongoing technical assistance from the National Center.  The center's leadership will also provide information and support to ACF's Office of Head Start for setting national priorities and developing policies. 

       Spencer received her doctorate in education and her masters in early childhood special education at The George Washington University, where she most recently served as the project director for Project ITAP: Training Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers.  She has served as a project director for three personnel preparation training grants, including a leadership program to train education specialists and taught courses in the areas of materials and methods, affective development and behavior management, infant and early childhood mental health, and family support. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Spencer has supported young children and their families as a direct service provider in special education and Head Start programs.  She has worked in leadership positions providing program planning and coordinating and implementing professional development.

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The Head Start Body Start National Center for Development and Outdoor Play was created in September 2008 by a $12 million grant from the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to increase a broad range of services aimed at increasing physical activity, outdoor play, and healthy eating for the nation's 900,000 Head Start children, their families and staff.   The center, which is headquartered in Reston, VA, is administrated by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). 

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Contact:
Paula Keyes Kun
PKun@aahperd.org
703-476-3461

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

AAHPERD, an alliance of five national associations, six district associations, and a Research Consortium, provides its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support, and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. It is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, dance, health promotion and all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. AAHPERD serves 20,000 members and has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia, 25 miles west of Washington DC. To learn more, visit www.aahperd.org.