Statement from Matthew E. Calderón, superintendent, Pembroke Central School District:
It brings amazing joy to announce that the Pembroke Central School District, in partnership with the Alexander Central School District, will initiate “PALS for Healthy Lifestyles” after winning another U.S. Department of Education Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant!
The full name of our project is “Pembroke and Alexander Schools for Healthy Lifestyles,” and only 5 percent of organizations that applied for the PEP nationwide received awards. We are super excited to report we were awarded over $1.8 million to invest over a three-year period!
PALS for Healthy Lifestyles will address the physical and nutritional needs of both districts by implementing nutrition education at the elementary level, adding hands-on practical components to nutrition education at the secondary level, shifting to a lifelong fitness-focused PE curriculum, and adopting a comprehensive school physical activity program.
Between the two districts this project will provide services to at least five project sites and nearly 1,800 students. This program will introduce new equipment, new lessons for students, enhanced education for individualized fitness plans, partnering with various community organizations to maximize services provided to students, and age appropriate nutritional education for students.
Through the implementation of PALS for Healthy Lifestyles, we plan to improve the overall health and wellness of students, starting with education at the primary level, and encouraging a continuation of the developed skills through adulthood.
We plan to implement research-based standards-aligned curriculum, to increase students’ daily physical activity levels and overall fitness, and to increase students’ consumption of recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables.
