Let’s Move! Active Schools, part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative dedicated to ensuring 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools, honored Grant Elementary School with the 2016 Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award for its outstanding efforts in creating an active school environment.

The Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award is the nation’s top physical education and physical activity distinction for K-12 schools and celebrates a school’s commitment to providing students with at least 60 minutes a day of before, during, and after school physical activity. Only 544 schools across the country achieved this prestigious honor this year.

Powered by a national collaborative of leading health, education, and private sector organizations, Let’s Move! Active Schools equips schools with the resources, programs, professional development, and grants to increase physical education and physical activity opportunities for students and to cultivate an active school environment. Active schools are important because regular physical activity helps students stay healthy and strong and it can lead to higher test scores, improved attendance, increased focus, better behavior in class, enhanced leadership, and a lifetime of healthy habits.

“We commend Grant Elementary School’s model work around enhancing physical education and physical activity opportunities and inspiring students to go from zero to sixty both in the classroom and in life,” said Charlene R. Burgeson, Let’s Move! Active Schools Executive Director. “Grant School is leading the way in this generation-changing movement that is transforming our nation’s schools into active and healthy hubs.”

To earn a Let’s Move! Active Schools National Awards, a school must have met significant benchmarks in five areas: physical education, physical activity before and after school, physical activity during school; staff involvement, and family and community engagement. As part of the Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award package, Grant School received a large display banner, National Award certificate, and congratulatory letter from the First Lady.

This school year, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, Let’s Move! Active Schools is excited to celebrate its National Award schools and to help more students accelerate their journey to leading a healthy, active lifestyle. In support of the Council’s #0to60campaign, Let’s Move! Active Schools will provide school champions with continued information, resources and inspiration needed to build healthier lives for future generations. Find out more about Let’s Move! Active Schools at www.letsmoveschools.org.

Grant Elementary School celebrated receipt of this National Award at an all-school assembly on Friday, Nov. 4.