In Montana, SHAPE Montana Board members saw the reduction and replacement of physical education with traditional classroom time and decided to spring into action. Collectively, they leveraged their state organization (SHAPE Montana) and created an advocacy program called "The 150 Program" to promote the importance of physical education…

When students decide to become physical education teachers, their perceptions of physical education are based mainly on how they experienced it themselves. Once they enter a teacher preparation program, professionals in the field must work together to help create awareness of what quality physical education is, especially for those who may not…

The purpose of this article is to put racism on the health and physical education (HPE) agenda with accountability measures using a critical whiteness lens. For HPE professionals, a critical whiteness lens involves examining beliefs that white cultural norms in HPE are conventional and benefit those who do not identify as white or with white…

Many students are hesitant to provide class input while others are eager to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings about physical education. As a result, some attempts to provide students with a voice risk overlooking students who are already reluctant to express themselves. Systematic approaches to provide voice to all students may help promote…

SPEAK Out! Day is an annual event in which SHAPE America members converge in Washington, D.C. to meet with representatives and senators to discuss issues related to quality health and physical education. The purpose of this article is to describe SPEAK Out! Day and address a few of its practices and outcomes, as well as the enjoyment and benefits…

The purpose of this article is to provide physical educators with the tools needed to be successful advocates for classroom physical activity breaks throughout the school day.

The Alabama Champions for Healthy, Active Schools is a state-wide wellness initiative for grades K-12 that utilizes the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. A champion school is encouraged to provide 60 minutes of physical activity throughout the academic day; provide nutritious meals, nutritious smart snacks, and nutrition…

One strategy for creating a healthy school culture is to integrate health concepts into core subject areas. In this article, a health and wellness coordinator and a curriculum specialist explain the meticulous process and discoveries that led to the development of a district-specific health curriculum.

This article presents a four-tiered framework for the development of advocacy skills among teacher preparation professionals that reflects grassroots advocacy efforts and endorses the value of the physical and health education disciplines.

Physical education teachers can champion their profession through marketing the importance of physical activity to children and families in the communities they serve. Social marketing, a consumer-based approach to behavior change, is an excellent choice for physical education teachers who want to "sell" physical activity to their…

Although advocacy can also take place at the state and national levels, the foundation of advocacy is high-quality teaching and local initiatives. The purpose of this article is to review four steps that can be taken by PE teachers who are interested in engaging in local advocacy efforts.

It is critical that preservice teachers (PSTs) in PE learn strategies to help them advocate for the importance of their subject in and around school settings. This article describes curricular and extracurricular activities that teacher educators can draw upon in preparing PSTs to advocate for their subject.

To change the public's negative perceptions, it may be necessary to change the nature of physical education programming. One way of doing so is by adopting "Cool PE," which refers to physical education that "moves" students, empowers students with choice, and is meaningful to students outside of the gym.

It is essential that HPERD professionals work together to be spokespeople for their areas at the local, state, and national levels. But what does it look like and how does it happen? The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of advocacy across these three levels, and to provide health and physical educators with some concrete…

"A strong K-12 physical education program is usually backed up by a strong leader" (Franck, 2007, p. 7). Strong and persistent leadership is especially important in today's reality of undervalued physical education. Despite the obesity epidemic and the many health problems facing youth, physical education is viewed as a low-status…