11 Stanislaus schools reach next level in Governor's Challenge

Eleven Stanislaus County schools are among 92 statewide finalists in the 2009 Governor's Challenge Competition, a contest that promotes increased physical activity and better health among California's youth.

The 11 Stanislaus County schools are:

• Modesto's Agnes Baptist Elementary, Savage Middle, Hart Ransom Elementary, John F. Kennedy, Chrysler Elementary and Tuolumne Elementary

• Turlock's Walter Brown Elementary

• Waterford Middle

• Denair Middle

• Hickman Elementary and Hickman Middle

Finalists are under consideration for one of the competition's three statewide grand prizes — new fitness centers valued at $100,000. Additionally, these schools are in the running for a Regional Award and $5,000 for new physical activity equipment.

Winners will be announced in September.

"It's an exciting and thrilling thing that so many of the schools took this up and helped increase the awareness of childhood obesity," county Superintendent of Schools Tom Changnon said.

The county schools that were the most successful impressed upon students that fitness "is not something you memorize for an exam — it's a lifelong commitment for a healthy life. That transcended to many students and their home lives," he added.

Finalists were selected out of more than 1,000 schools statewide based on the percentage and number of students in their schools who successfully completed the Governor's Challenge to be active 30 to 60 minutes a day, at least three days a week for a month. Ten of the 11 Stanislaus County school finalists had 100 percent of their students take and complete the challenge this year, and the eleventh, Savage Middle School, had more students complete the challenge — 1,134 — than any other middle school in the 15-county Gold Country region.

The Stanislaus County Office of Education coordinated an effort for all county public schools to encourage physical activity and healthier eating for the 2008-09 school year. Called Fit for the Future, the campaign featured giveaways of items such as iPods and bicycles to students at schools with the most participation. Officials plan to continue the program next school year.

Encouraging fitness is paramount in Stanislaus County, which has higher rates of childhood obesity and diabetes than most other areas across the state.

Statewide, more than 339,000 participants recorded more than 5.8 million days of physical activity through the Governor's Challenge in 2009.

In Stanislaus County, 83,000 students, teachers and parents logged more than 1 million days of physical activity, more than any other county in the state, including Los Angeles County, which has more than 15 times the number of people in Stanislaus County.

Physical activity records for schools in the Governor's Challenge can be found at www.CalGovCouncil.org.