A major initiative of the “Winter Feels Good” public awareness campaign to increase activity among youth and their families kicks off this month with the addition of a new education section on the “Winter Feels Good” website www.winterfeelsgood.com. The education section explains how teachers can start new snow sports programs in their schools or use existing programs – such as “Passport Programs” – that encourage students to learn snowshoeing, cross country skiing, alpine skiing or snowboarding.
The announcement was made at a recent gathering of the National SnowSports Journalists Association (NASJA) in Denver. Colorado was the first state to organize a “Passport Program” that offers special ski and snowboard learning programs at resorts for elementary school children in the fourth, fifth and/or sixth grades. “Winter Feels Good” promotes the health and fitness benefits of snow sports participation, and it is targeted to influencers of youth particularly parents and teachers.
SIA worked with the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports on the development of the education section. It offers tips on how snow sports can help enhance students physical and mental well-being through healthy, fun recreational outdoor winter activities, and it includes links to the Presidents Challenge website where students can learn how they can earn a Presidents Challenge Award by combining snow sports with other physical activities.
The “Winter Feels Good” website soon will include a link to the new health and fitness training program developed by the USSA for potential use by schools and their athletic departments. Links already exist for related sites such as Tubbs Winter Fit program and Maines WinterKids. Also, teachers can learn, in this section, how they can apply for grant money for the purchase of snowshoes and other snow sports products that can be used in schools physical education program. The website includes a database of retail outlets and resorts throughout the U.S.
“It certainly makes sense to target physical education teachers for this campaign because they know the value of regular activity. Snow sports are activities that have appeal not just for students but for an entire family,” said Mary Jo Tarallo, director of Education and Special Projects for SIA. “We were pleased to make this announcement in Colorado where the first Passport Program evolved.”
The “Winter Feels Good” website is being promoted through an extensive outreach effort to 14,000 elementary physical education teachers and their supervisors in 10 states. California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont and Washington were selected because they operate “Passport” Learn to Ski and Snowboard programs. Ads for the site currently are running in professional journals read by physical education teachers throughout the U.S.
Winter Feels Good is one directive of SIAs Project Kids Initiative whose goal is to increase awareness and participation in snowsports among kids ages 6-13 both directly and through key influencers. Winter Feels Good speaks to youth via influencers such as parents, teachers, coaches and others. Snowlinkjr.com and the more recently launched VERB Project Zero Degrees are focused on direct messaging to the youth.
