Over 12,000 Schools and 8,000,000 Students Have Access to Sworkit for Remote PE
Keeping kids physically active during remote learning is easily overlooked and often an afterthought. Schools in all 50 states have partnered with a DC-based digital fitness company to use free virtual tools to get students in shape.
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sworkit launched the Sworkit Youth Initiative (SYI) in 2018 to make age-appropriate workouts and fitness education readily available and relatable to children of all ages, regardless of their fitness level or socioeconomic status. The company started providing its paid subscription program, including content filmed with and for children, to schools for free. School usage accelerated when lockdowns began in March, but exploded once schools could properly plan over the summer. Now, over 12,000 schools in all 50 states have signed up and are using Sworkit to deliver physical education classes to over 8,600,000 students.
"Things got very busy in March when schools scrambled to adapt their teaching to a remote format, but now that districts and individual schools have had time to plan and prepare, we've seen adoption skyrocket," states Sworkit's CEO, Gregory Coleman. He goes on to say, "We also spent a lot of time between April and August developing enhanced tools that specifically help teachers lead synchronous workouts with their classes via video-conferencing tools like Google Classroom or Zoom."
Now that school is in session, educators are starting to have fun with it. One teacher shares, "I am beyond pleased with this platform. It is so easy to use, and the customization is wonderful. I seriously cannot thank you enough. It is making my teaching virtual so much easier on me, AND my students love it. It was a huge success today. I sincerely appreciate it."
A 55-year-old PE teacher was intimidated by the idea of having to use technology for remote physical education and was considering changing careers but said, "Sworkit changed my mind…I'm so happy to work with Sworkit every day in my classes, and kids love it!"
An educator in another school states, "As we look at having students out of the building and away from school, one of our big fears is that their overall health will suffer in our attempt to keep them from getting sick. We need to give them options that bring motivation, structure, purpose, and accountability. Based on what we have seen with students using the app at school, we are optimistic that for some of our students – Sworkit checks most, if not all, of those boxes." That school also recommends that students work out for 30 minutes each day or 60 minutes every other day.
"I'm a parent, and our team is filled with parents whose kids are learning from home while working work full time. Teaching is difficult enough in a classroom, and asking an educator to teach young children remotely is a superhero task. If we can make the job easier for teachers AND give kids a way to stay physically active, get in better shape, and burn off energy, that is a win for everyone," Coleman says. As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, kids will not be spending as much time outside. Sworkit's tools may end up being a primary source of physical activity for millions of kids as we head into the winter. But many educators now feel empowered and credit Sworkit for enabling them. In the words of a middle school teacher, "I commend and truly appreciate Sworkit for their generosity."
About Sworkit
Founded in 2012, Sworkit is a premium digital health and fitness company providing workouts and personalized plans to help users get leaner, fitter, and stronger. With a custom combination of strength, cardio, yoga, and stretching workouts, Sworkit helps millions of monthly users work out on their own time and at their own pace.
Sworkit is ranked as a leader in app stores and was named #1 by the University of Florida in a study of fitness apps using the American College of Sports Medicine standards. Through the Sworkit Youth Initiative, Sworkit provides free fitness technology for students, teachers, and school districts worldwide. Sworkit aims to reduce the rate of childhood obesity in half by 2026. For more information, please visit sworkit.com and follow @Sworkit on Instagram.
For more information, please visit https://sworkit.com/youth-initiative.
Contacts
Gregory Coleman, Sworkit CEO & Co-Founder
+1 800-219-0713, Ext #3
[email protected]
Rynnie Cotter, Sworkit Operations Manager and Director of Sworkit Youth Initiative
[email protected]
SOURCE Sworkit
Share this article