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Active RVA at School

Active RVA at School

Making school communities active has a wide range of benefits for students, faculty, families, and the school community as a whole. Use the best practices and other pages in this section to get started on creating a culture of activity and wellness at your school, or just find a few ways to implement new programs and ideas for your school community.

Best Practices 

Healthy lifestyles must start at an early age, and where are children spending a lot of time? School! Some of these quick and easy best practices may be just what you need to take the first steps towards making your classroom or entire school more active.

See what some of RVA’s leading students and teachers are doing to create active schools!

Active RVA Certification 

The Active RVA Certification and Awards recognize organizations around Richmond for creating active living opportunities on a daily basis. Our kids (and their teachers!) spend the majority of their waking hours at school. By integrating physical activity throughout the school day, we can promote lifelong healthy habits for Richmond’s youth and improve attendance, creativity, and school performance while we’re at it! Click here to learn more and get your organization Active RVA Certified.

What is an Active RVA Certified School?

An Active RVA-Certified School is an area early childhood education center, elementary, middle, or high school that adopts, supports, and engages physical activity as part of their school’s culture. Active RVA-Certified Schools support their students, faculty, staff, and their families to maximize their health and wellness through regular physical activity. By utilizing programs, infrastructure, and measurable results, Active RVA Certified Schools provide meaningful pathways for the whole school community to get moving and get healthy.

Why should I get my school certified?

Making school communities active has benefits in almost every direction. Here are some important examples of what getting active and getting certified can do for your school:

  • Improve academic performance of students
  • Improve concentration and classroom behavior
  • Lifelong health benefits for students
  • Lower employee healthcare costs
  • Increase productivity from employees.
  • Positive recognition for your school community. In addition to honoring Certified Schools through Active RVA Awards, we highlight Active RVA Schools on social media outlets, and feature them in newsletters and media reporting
  • Enhance the culture of health and physical fitness within the local community.
  • Recruit and retain teachers and administrators

How to Apply

Our Active RVA School Certification application is easy and can be completed online! We’ll ask you some basic questions about your school community and then want to understand what kinds of programs and initiatives you’ve put in place. After we review your application, we will follow up with more information.

School Programs to encourage physical activity

Here are some school programs that can help encourage physical activity: