TURNER ES: Oliver Foundation awards $3,000 grant for Calories in & Calories Out program
Turner Elementary receives a $3,000 grant Thursday from the Oliver Foundation, thanks to P.E. teacher Jackie Caver.
Students: ‘Wii’ make healthy CHOICES at Turner ES
Turner Elementary will be stepping it up a notch after receiving a $3,000 grant Thursday from the Oliver Foundation, thanks to P.E. teacher Jackie Caver.
The grant is the result of Caver’s proactive initiative to promoting healthier dietary and physical activities among students at school and at home.
Funding from the grant will go toward purchasing a Wii Fit DDR Energy Class Package, which will provide students with a fun and vigorous workout, while educating them about how active they need to be according to their caloric intake.
“I love the Oliver Foundation,” Caver said. “I love supporting our students. But most importantly, I love that we have the best technology and equipment available to teach our kids how to be healthy.”
In the spring, Caver submitted a proposal describing a unique idea on how she would utilize the funding. When the Oliver Foundation, a non-profit childhood obesity organization, told Caver that Turner was selected to receive the grant, she launched a school-wide initiative called Calories In & Calories Out.
“I will give students in each one of my P.E. classes one M&M and tell them how long it will take to work off the M&M – which is about 5 to 10 minutes,” she said. “Kids will use the Wii Fit game to exercise off the calories they gain from eating the M&M, and that way they will be able to learn that when they eat many fat calories they need to be vigorously active longer.”
Deborah Woehler, executive director of the Oliver Foundation calls the program “genius.”
“I am absolutely impressed with Caver for her well-written proposal and with this school,” Woehler said. “She was able to get the entire school engaged and it meets objectives with the kids. And her objective was to get the kids moving and have them have fun.”
Second grader and special helper Hannah Brooks, says she has been learning to count calories thanks to her favorite teacher.
“I look at food labels,” Brooks said. “I eat waffles with no syrup.”
Wii want to learn about the game:
- Wii Fit DDR Energy Class Package is a low impact aerobic exercise and dance game
- Students can follow cues, including numbers, geometrical shapes, and directions as they move around the mats, boards and pads
- The exercise mat will help students keep score and it can fit up to 28 students
