WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools has announced the receipt of a grant totaling $22,800 from the K21 Health Foundation to be utilized for physical education equipment. The grant will be utilized to purchase new physical education equipment that will help WCS shift from a culture of teaching about sports to an environment that promotes true health and wellness for all students.

The equipment will encourage students of all capabilities to participate in physical education classes.

Grant dollars will assist WCS in purchasing DrumFit equipment, which utilizes a cardiovascular endurance drumming program that combines the mental health benefits of drumming with the overall benefits of physical fitness for a full body work out. In addition, WCS will purchase GenMove equipment and Kin balls, which encourage various levels of physical activity and cardiovascular endurance.

This equipment will be utilized at all eight WCS elementary buildings where elementary physical education teachers are in a unique position to directly enable and educate each WCS elementary student about the importance of health and wellness. With the continual changes to our society’s health and habits, WCS’s team of PE teachers have committed to understanding and meeting these changing needs by collaboratively researching and implementing innovative and research based programs.

“The purpose and opportunity of P.E. at the schools has changed since I was a kid, where it was mostly about learning different sports,” shared K21 President and CEO Rich Haddad. “We are in a youth culture of more specialized sports, but also a culture of significant inactivity due to technology. This equipment will help promote physical activity as fun and as a desired part of a child’s lifestyle. Every child needs to embrace an active life for their long-term health, and this equipment will help the teachers provide this.”