For over 25 years HART Sport has been supplying Australian Schools with the gear they need to keep active and healthy. Through partnerships with Schools, Departments of Education or our School Series, we make keeping active easier.
A recent initiative we have supported is the Increasing Activity & Intelligent Minds (iAIM) program. The iAIM program was piloted in the Darling Downs Region in 2014. Since then the program has been implemented in over 40 Schools in South Queensland.
The iAIM approach is based on evidence linking physical activity, cognitive function, health and wellbeing. Research continues to find a positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance of children and teenagers. We have been working with the iAIM program to encourage students to move more, sit less, engage and achieve high.
Dalby State School Kids getting active!
The objectives of iAIM are:
To support School improvement by using physical activity strategies to create a culture that promotes learning, health and wellbeing. These strategies will help address the alarming health statistics for children including:
- Obese rate for children aged 5-17 years is 7% (measured) and 8% (proxy-reported). Overweight is 19% (measured) or 18% (proxy-reported)
- Only 41% of children aged 5-17 are meeting sufficient physical activity levels.
- Sedentary behaviour (38% children exceeding recommended screen time)
To see the full report of Queenslanders Health click here
iAIM Approach
iAIM promotes the Health Promoting Schools approach, developed by the World Health Organisation. This encourages a whole School approach to addressing health issues. The framework includes focussing actions across curriculum, culture, and community links.
Some of the whole School strategies used by the iAIM program include:
- ACHPER QLD awarded 100km Club
- Active student leaders and spaces
- Active Curriculum
- Brain Breaks and Activity Permissive Classrooms
iAIM Outcomes
The benefits of iAIM from the participating Schools were enhanced:
- Behavioural engagement, as evident by positive conduct inside and outside the classroom.
- On-task behaviour, and participation in learning activities.
- Emotional engagement as well as improved relationships in School.
- Cognitive engagement, including enhanced self-regulation and investment in learning.
- Motor and social skills improvements for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Active Brain Kits
HART Sport have been able to support this program by creating an Active Brains Kit! Our classroom kits provide equipment to help move while learning during lessons. These short bouts of activity are great to replenish students’ neurotransmitters for learning. 37 Schools who use the iAIM program received Active Brain Kits to start the School term. Our kits bundle classroom equipment to help stimulate learning with physical activity.
Equipment including hula hoops and hopscotch sets help break up sitting time during classes. Rubber chickens and juggling scarves create motor skill games are quick activities to re-focus the class.
HART Sport will continue to support Australian Schools to help keep the next generation active. We offer all registered Schools a discount on all online orders as well as many other great benefits. To visit our Schools portal and register your School visit here.