One Year, Two Successes in Jump Rope for Heart at the Linden STEAM Academy

In her third year as a Jump Rope For Heart coordinator, Jessica Prickitt, K-4 physical education teacher at the Linden STEAM Academy was given double the excitement in raising almost double the school’s total last year and being recognized as one of 10 people to receive a national Jump Rope For Heart/Hoops For Heart (JRFH/HFH) grant from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) and the American Heart Association.  Prickitt held a JRFH event at school to raise both funds and awareness about heart disease and how to prevent it through daily physical activity.  She earned the grant for her passion and commitment for physical education and the JRFH program.

Prickitt was thrilled with the amount students raised and the number of students that participated in fundraising.  The 2014 goals were to get 100 students to participate and raise $4,250, just a little more than last year.  Instead, 180 students raised money totaling $7,221.   “This year the American Heart Association changed things and had a duck theme.  Duck key chains were put onto lanyards as a prize with the opportunity to earn several different styles of ducks for different amounts of money raised on and offline.  This was a big incentive for the kids, but what was most heartening was that many kids went above the $5 mark to earn the duck, they were in it for the benefit of helping people with sick hearts,” Prickit states.  This year the top fundraising students were Isabel Jones (kindergarten), Chad Robertson (2nd grade), Alexis Handy (3rd grade), Jordan Rodriguez (4th grade), and Nicole D’Souza (2nd grade).  Isabel raised $700 both online and through in-person donations and gave her thoughts on participating.  “I like to help kids, so I asked my mom if I could help with Jump Rope for Heart and she said yes.  My favorite part of class was the ‘pick a trick’ station because I got to practice my jogging step.”

Jump Rope for Heart, the jointly sponsored AAHPERD and American Heart Association program promotes physical education and provides children with knowledge of heart disease and stroke. The funds raised go toward cardiovascular disease and stroke research and health education.  At the Linden STEAM Academy every elementary aged child participated in Jump Rope for Heart through jumping rope, trying new styles and tricks, and learning about heart health and its connection to exercise and a healthy diet.  Families have the choice of whether or not to fundraise, and use online and/or in-person fundraising techniques to raise money for the American Heart Association. 

The $2500 grant awarded to Prickitt includes a US Games gift certificate to enhance the Linden STEAM Academy’s current PE program, as well as membership to AAHPERD, and a professional development stipend to attend the 129th National Convention & Exposition, which took place in St. Louis from April 1-5.  During the convention Prickitt shared her expertise on how to successfully run a JRFH program during a special panel discussion at the AAHPERD convention.

About the experience this year, Prickitt says, “I love JRFH for so many reasons:  it raises awareness about heart health and a healthy lifestyle, it gets kids excited about helping others, it gives them a sense of accomplishment and helps them practice perseverance to strive for success and the betterment of their jump rope skills.  Receiving recognition for my JRFH participation is such an honor and going to the AAHPERD Nationnal Convention to present was an amazing experience.  The connections that I made and information that I learned will help me become a better teacher and event coordinator.  I’m looking forward to using the grant money to help diversify the equipment that we have at the Linden.  This will give students more access to different types of equipment that they would not otherwise be able to experience.” 

The national grant recipient explains how she finds creative ways to run her program successfully, “I like to use technology in the gym as it’s something that students like and can relate to.  This year I was able to use a projector to show students a video that summarizes the JRFH program and tells them how and who their fundraising helps.  I also have a website (www.lindenpe.weebly.com) which linked the fundraising pages for easier access and got a lot more students involved through parent and community traffic.  On my website I displayed student-made jump rope trick videos and heart health videos for students to enjoy.  I think that this connection to home helped many students get excited about the cause, gave them easier access to the information necessary to participate, and enabled deeper awareness about jumping rope and its connection to a healthy lifestyle and body.”  

            Richard Bransfield, principal of the Linden STEAM Academy comments on the program,  “Since I became principal three years ago, Jessica has always made it a point to make ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ part of her curriculum.  Including this program not only helps with the overall fitness of our students but makes them aware of how to make a contribution in the fight of heart disease.  I am sure that as our students grow older they will always remember the lessons learned and the need to live a healthy lifestyle.”  Prickitt looks forward to participating in Jump Rope for Heart next year and growing the program even more.

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD, now SHAPE AMERICA)

The vision of AAHPERD is “Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!” Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity and school health—all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Founded in 1885, its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.