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Physical Education in Arkansas Receives $150K Grant

1 min read
The Arkansas Department of Education received a $150,000 grant from the Blue & You Foundation to provide physical education instructors additional professional development opportunities and classroom resources.
The one-year grant also will be used for the Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) curriculum and equipment for regional SPARK physical education trainings. The SPARK curriculum helps teachers engage students in physical activity and teach recreational activities. 

The Arkansas Department of Education said it will identify four state-level SPARK certified physical education instructors using the SPARK Physical Education Program. The instructors will contract with the ADE to provide regional professional development on how to use the SPARK curriculum. All public school physical education teachers will have an opportunity to register for the regional trainings offered through this initiative, the department said.

The SPARK curriculum has been honored as an exemplary program by the U.S. Department of Education and was featured in the U.S. Surgeon General’s report as a “school-based solution to our nation’s health care crisis.” SPARK was also awarded “gold” (highest ranking) by the Cooper Institute for elementary and middle school physical education programs.
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