My School In Motion

My School In Motion!(MSIM) is a fun, innovative fitness-based physical education, nutrition and wellness program that gets the entire school moving and learning together. The curriculum can also be implemented by individual classroom teachers for PE and movement breaks. My School in Motion! captures the power of movement, music, and community to get students moving daily, and teaches lifelong healthy habits. MSIM improves physical and emotional health and is grounded in brain research that links activity to improved academic performance. MSIM has received national recognition for its easily replicable and scalable model that is accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity, or ability. First Lady Michelle Obama recognized MSIM’s founder, Apryl Krakovsky, as “a pioneer in creating active school environments.” MSIM won the 2010 Gold Medal Spotlight Award from the California Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports, and was the West Regional winner of the 2012 Active Schools Acceleration Project Physical Activity Innovation Competition. As soon as the school bell rings, the entire school team – including students, teachers, staff and even many parents – moves together for 15-20 minutes. Participants learn fun, engaging routines, designed to improve cardio-respiratory health, muscular strength and flexibility, as well as brain functioning. The whole time they are moving, they are learning: about nutrition, wellness, science, social studies and more. “Call-and-response” and “repeat after me” phrases are built into the curriculum. These “talkables” are tied to state and national PE and health standards, and support Common Core. The web-based curriculum includes more than 180 Daily Movement Plans and videos for 70 movement routines. MSIM was started by a parent volunteer, and former classroom teacher, at her local Los Angeles Unified School District elementary school. The program is now in 31 schools in California, Colorado and Indiana. The train-the-trainer model, utilizing existing school staff to implement the program, ensures sustainability.