Active Bodies Active Minds Campaign Addresses Education and Fitness Problems Facing Kids This Summer

GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summer Bridge Activities, a leading resource for parents who want to keep young minds active and learning during the summer break, MLS W.O.R.K.S, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative and All-Star Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman are teaming up for a second straight year to launch Active Bodies Active Minds. This online summer reading and fitness program was created to motivate parents and provide them with the tools they need to take an active, leading role in summertime learning and fitness for their kids.

“We welcome Major League Soccer’s Kevin Hartman into the program’s central role of reaching kids and motivating parents to be the primary leaders in cultivating active bodies and active minds,” said Dave Hewitt, President of Carson-Dellosa Publishing. “It is through this parental leadership that the Summer Bridge Activities philosophy of ‘School Stops for Summer but Learning Never Should’ is based.”

“Parents are the goalkeepers when it comes to preventing inactivity and mental stagnation during the summer months,” said Hartman, goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards. “We should all encourage parents to be a part of a team that motivates children to keep active throughout the summer break.”

Faced with declining budgets and increased costs, some schools and cities will not be offering programs to help keep kids physically and mentally active during the summer months. While this problem is not new, the mounting effects inactive bodies and minds have on schools and children’s abilities to function and learn are constantly growing. To address these challenges, Active Bodies Active Minds will kick off its community outreach campaign with a website offering a national online sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game or a session at The David Beckham Academy in Los Angeles. Major League Soccer also will distribute over 100,000 Summer Fun Activity booklets at MLS games and community events.

The Active Bodies Active Minds website (www.mlsnet.com/abam) challenges kids to improve their overall physical fitness and enroll in an interactive summer reading program. The site provides grade-level reading and fitness logs to track progress, along with cool fitness and reading ideas to help keep kids stay active throughout the summer.

With a special focus on motivating kids to keep mentally and physically active, the Summer Fun Activity booklets include fun and engaging word games, crossword puzzles, fitness activities, Healthy Halftime Snacks™ resource materials for parents and a description of the Active Bodies Active Minds program. The booklets will be distributed in schools and at Major League Soccer games in all MLS markets.

“Major League Soccer is keenly aware of the childhood obesity epidemic facing this country and coupling physical fitness with mental challenges is a great way to fight obesity while promoting sustained learning,” said JoAnn Neale, EVP of MLS. “We are extremely proud to be partnering with Summer Bridge Activities and the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University in this important initiative, and we believe that the outreach and support of the program from our clubs and players will encourage many children and families to benefit from the Active Bodies Active Minds program.”

Ron Fairchild, Executive Director of the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University said, “All kids need and deserve opportunities to continue learning when school is not in session. During tough economic times, parents can take the lead in engaging their children’s bodies and minds with activities such as those presented in the Active Bodies Active Minds program.”

MLS W.O.R.K.S.

MLS W.O.R.K.S. is Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people. MLS W.O.R.K.S. serves as a platform for both league and team philanthropic programs, specifically focusing on health and wellness, education, respect, fair play, leadership, human rights and diversity with an emphasis on programs and initiatives directed at school-aged children.

Summer Bridge Activities

A multi-million selling series of workbooks that has been embraced by parents and educators alike for over a decade, Summer Bridge Activities is now available for summer 2009 with the Building Better Bodies and Behavior curriculum – a bonus section that focuses on child play and child health – included in every workbook. The bonus section encourages parental involvement in child play that is designed to get kids active and playing outside. Summer Bridge Activities is published by Cookie Jar Education.

Visit Summer Bridge Activities on the Web at www.summerbridgeactivities.com.

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