FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NASPE to Honor Moving & Learning's Rae Pica

 Rae Pica, children's physical activity specialist and founder of Moving & Learning, will receive the Margie R. Hanson Elementary Physical Education Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) during the national convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Pica will be recognized at the NASPE Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, April 3, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel in Tampa, Florida. Other honorees that evening include the National Physical Education Teachers of the Year for Elementary, Middle and High School, the National Physical Education Administrator of the Year, and the National Athletic Director of the Year Award. Olympic gold medalist Dot Richardson, M.D. will be inducted in the NASPE Hall of Fame.

A national recognition, the Margie R. Hanson Elementary Physical Education Distinguished Service Award is given to professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of physical education for children. The award is supported through donations to the Margie R. Hanson fund. Hanson, a dedicated AAHPERD member for 26 years, was a pioneer in promoting physical education for children through her own teaching and her advocacy and AAHPERD program support.

Pica has been a children's physical activity specialist since 1980. A former adjunct instructor with the University of New Hampshire, she is the author of 18 books, including the text Experiences in Movement, the award-winning Great Games for Young Children and Jump into Literacy, and Physical Education for Young Children: Movement ABCs for the Little Ones.

Pica is known for her lively and informative workshop and keynote presentations and has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, Gymboree, and state health departments throughout the country.

Pica also served on the NASPE task force that created Active Start, national guidelines for early childhood physical activity. In addition, Rae hosts a radio program called "Body, Mind and Child," interviewing experts in education, child development, the neurosciences, and more.

NASPE           

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 16,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information.  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.

###

Contact:
Paula 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.