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PrintFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
National Association for Sport and Physical Education
Honors ASCD For Commitment To Whole Child Initiative
RESTON, VA, March 8, 2012 – The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) will honor ASCD with the Ross Merrick National Recognition Award for its commitment to supporting and promoting the Whole Child initiative at the 127th National Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) next week in Boston, MA.
This honor will be recognized at the NASPE Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, March 16, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Sean Slade, director, Whole Child Programs for ASCD, will accept the award on behalf of Dr. Gene R. Carter, ASCD executive director and chief executive officer.
Other honorees that evening include the National Physical Education Teachers of the Year for Elementary, Middle and High School and the National Physical Education Administrator of the Year. Olympic gold medalist Kristine Lilly will be inducted that evening into the NASPE Hall of Fame. The banquet is sponsored by Playworld Systems®, a leading manufacturer of imaginative playground equipment and the creator of ENERGI™ Total Body Fitness System.
According to NASPE President Dennis Docheff, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo, "The Ross Merrick National Recognition Award is given to an organization that has done exceptional work in supporting physical activity, physical education, or sport as it relates to NASPE's mission and has supported NASPE as an organization."
ASCD believes that each student in each classroom, in each school, should be healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged and that the needs of the whole child should be supported by all community members, from national leaders, state officials, and educators to community experts and families. The association's Whole Child Initiative, which began in 2007, seeks to translate that vision into action. Offering a variety of resources to individuals and organizations globally supporting the whole child approach to education, including action tools, publications, podcasts, blogs, and more, the Whole Child Initiative is a powerful force in ensuring the success of each learner. Visit the home page of ASCD's Whole Child Initiative at www.ascd.org/wholechild to learn more.
As leaders in education, ASCD was among the first to promote the notion that education must serve all of the needs of America's children so that they will be fully engaged and successful learners. From educating parents to policymakers, ASCD has remained steadfast to its Whole Child commitment, offering numerous high-quality resources supporting the success of each learner. In addition, NASPE/AAHPERD is proud to have ASCD as one of our staunchest strategic partners for the Let's Move in School initiative. Progress is being made in increasing physical activity before, during and after school thanks to the efforts of educational partners such as ASCD.
Past inductees of the National Recognition Award include the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC's) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), Cooper Institute, Michigan State University's Youth Sports Institute, National Federation of State High School Associations, NFL Network, Polar USA, President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, Project Adventure, Reebok International, Rollerblade, The Hershey Company, and the United States Olympic Committee.###
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.
The vision of AAHPERD is "Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity, dance, school health and sport--all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing 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. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.