SHAPE America Premier Partner SPOTLIGHT ON PLT4M
The SHAPE America Partner Program connects the business and nonprofit communities and our nation's health and physical educators What's more, participating partners help support a variety of SHAPE America events, initiatives, programs and projects that promote effective health and physical education Plus, these partnering organizations represent a wide range of products, services and expertise to help support your classroom In this Premier Partner Spotlight, we get to know PLT4M, the #1 instructional platform for health and physical education
Q: For those that may not be familiar with your organization, please tell us a little about your products and services.
A: PLT4M is built to help teachers improve student engagement in Physical Education We do this by offering a modernized and diverse curriculum paired with instructional technology that enhances the student experience
Why? Even with the concerning statistics regarding the mental and physical health of our children, school administrations appear to overlook the connection between this issue and the role of Health and Physical Education (HPE) in addressing it It is disheartening to see budgets being slashed and physical education requirements reduced or completely removed
We help teachers reinvigorate their classrooms using technology, data, and content to create a 21st-century program that students love and administrators support!
Q: What are the top 3 trending issues about which health and PE teachers reach out to your organization?
A: The top issue is declining rates of student engagement We find that having the ability to differentiate instruction and really personalize the s participation Historically, every kid in the class had in the same activity If a student doesn't feel comfor or isn't interested, they sit out With PLT4M, you can leverage 1-to-1 devices, and TVs to create group or individual lesson options ranging from traditional games, to fitness, yoga, weights and more
The next trending issue is the effort to modernize curriculum. For example, units like weight training and yoga have exploded in popularity. But these, and other units like them, can be extremely challenging to teach and develop curriculum for. PLT4M has a team of content area experts that have created over 50 programs, supporting teachers abil to offer students more choice.
The final issue is funding - though this has always been a challenge Through sequenced instruction and electives that resonate with students we help increase the number of students participating in PE With enrollment numbers up, and participation data available in PLT4M, it is easier to advocate for the funding HPE deserves
Q: Please share some insights to why your organization's support of SHAPE America and its members is important.
A: SHAPE America and their members are on the front lines of fighting for the health and wellness of our children. We believe that there is no greater cause than that. It is critically important that schools continue to support their HPE departments and use them as a conduit to help students lead healthier, happy lives. We want to be a part of that mission.
Q: How many years has your organization been in business and what inspired you to work within the HPE community?
A: PLT4M was created in 2012 as a side project by our two co-founders - one a coach, and one a PE teacher They recognized the important role that technology could play in the weight room and PE classroom From those early days, we've evolved quite a bit thanks to the amazing feedback and support of our 1,000+ partner schools What started as a strength and conditioning app, is now a comprehensive Health and Wellness platform built exclusively for schools
Q: What are some unique facts that set your organization apart from others?
A: In terms of curriculum, we are the only ones providing secondary health and PE programming supported by instructional technology students and teachers actually enjoy using. While there are other curriculum providers, lessons often come in PDFs or textbooks that don't resonate with students.
In terms of technology, other software providers either provide a very narrow set of features, like data tracking, or they work with a diverse set of sectors, like private gyms and professional teams, making the products overly complex and difficult to use
Our singular focus on health and PE departments helps us develop curriculum and technology that is easy to adopt and has a measurable impact
