Press Release

July 7, 2008

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that Loudon County Schools was one of three recipients in Tennessee for the national competition, the Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant.

Loudon County Schools was awarded $335,067 for its initiative, Fitness Is Fun, to help combat childhood obesity and promote physical activity. Fitness Is Fun, a comprehensive physical education and wellness program, will begin with the 2008/2009 school year and is designed to improve the number of students that are able to meet Tennessee State Standards in Physical Education and Wellness.  This initiative has been spearheaded by the system’s Coordinated School Health Office.

“The purpose of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program is to provide funds to local educational agencies and community-based organizations to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for students in one or more grades from kindergarten through 12 in order to make progress toward meeting State standards for physical education by providing funds for equipment, support, and the training and education of teachers and staff.” (U.S. Department of Education)

A key piece of this project is the development of Outdoor Fitness Activity Centers to be located on each elementary school campus. These unique Outdoor Fitness Activity Centers will not consist of the typical playground equipment, but will include tree house type structures and low ropes courses and will have companion physical activities and nutrition curriculum. The system’s Outdoor Fitness Activity Centers and the Fitness Is Fun Initiative will promote the goal of 150 minutes per week of planned physical activity for the system’s elementary students.

Loudon County Schools has received funding from the Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Coordinated School Health (CSH) since 2001, for the system’s Coordinated School Health Office. The CSH programs and supporting data CSH provided for this application made the difference and contributed to Loudon County School System’s successful award.