San Francisco, CA:
StandUpKids.org is announcing the 10 schools that are the winners of $5,000 grants for classroom standing desks as part of their partnership with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Active Schools organization. StandUpkids also works in partnership with Stand2Learn, a standing desk company committed to children’s health.
In June 2013, StandUpKids founders Juliet and Kelly Starrett volunteered at their daughters’ school field day. They noticed that many of the kids were overweight and lacked the basic fitness to complete the sack races. The children were noticeably unfit because they simply aren’t moving enough. THEY SIT TOO MUCH.
In the past two years, the foundation has raised more than $200,000. It recently raised an additional $50,000 to fund the program to provide 10 schools with $5,000 grants for standing desks.
“We were simply overwhelmed with applications,” Juliet Starrett says. The desire and need to get children moving are a given, she adds. “Now we need to raise way more money to meet the demand.”
Selecting Stand2Learn as a partner was easy, she notes. Both organizations are dedicated to helping children lead more active, healthier lives. Michele Klumb, the vice president of Stand2Learn, says the company is honored to participate in the partnership,
“Together we can all make a huge impact in the health and wellness of our children. Every step of this ladder to health takes a dedicated team. We are just one rung leading to healthier children.”
Texas A&M researcher Dr. Mark Benden reports that the use of student standing desks:
- Increases calorie burn rates 17-35%
- Decreases BMI percentile by 5%
- Increases student engagement by 15%
The grant winners are:
- Lauren Banas,
1st Grade Teacher
Wilson Elementary School
Wauwatosa, WI - Jenny Derby
6th Grade
Miller Creek Middle School
San Rafael, CA - Katie Fune
5th Grade
Greenwood Mill Elementary School
Winchester, VA - Darolene Brown & Casey Amann
High School
River Valley High School
Mohave Valley, AZ - Megan Fruvellhoff and Katie Malone
Middle School
Longs Peak Middle School
Longmont, CO - Dallas Jensen
Elementary
Woodland Heights Elementary
Harrison, AZ - Katherine Upham
5th Grade
Scottsdale Unified Schools
Scottsdale, AZ - Jennifer Ray
Elementary
Alexander Schools,
Albany, OH - Sherri Kemp
2nd Grade
Gearing Elementary
St. Clair, MI
About StandUpKids: The mission of StandUpKids is to get every public school child at a standing desk in 10 years, to combat the epidemic of sedentary lifestyles and inactivity, and to better reflect 21st century education goals. StandUpKids provides education on the health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles and resources on why standing desks create an environment where children can become healthier and more active.