Delaware Business Blog

A Grant from Dow Chemical Company brings innovation to school recess at Newark Charter School

By admin March 12, 2012 Community & Events, Delaware, Education & Courses, Fun, Industries, Inspiration No Comments

Thanks to a $30,000 DowGives Grant, students in grades K through 8 can tone their muscles and get their hearts pumping at a new Fitness Park that includes a jogging trail and exercise stations for circuit training during their recess. The grant is also funding a program for pre-teen girls to build their self-esteem.

About 40% of Delaware youth are either overweight or obese. Newark Charter School’s measures are progressive in stemming the state’s childhood obesity epidemic:

  • Less than half of Delaware’s children receive the recommended 60 minutes of physical exercise on a daily basis, according to the state.
  • Unlike other schools in Delaware, Newark Charter School provides students through grade 8 with 20 to 25 minutes of recess time each day. This is one of the few places in the region where middle school students will have access to fitness facilities during a daily recess break.
  • By working out during recess, the students will develop daily exercise habits they can continue throughout their lives.
  • The jogging trail will also be used this spring by 19 Newark Charter School students who are training for a 5K as part of Girls on the Run. This after-school program uses physical activity and counseling to help girls 8 through 13 live their lives free of at-risk activities and to make healthy choices.

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