Project Fit America Comes to Newton County Elementary

Decatur, Miss.

Students at Newton County Elementary School have new tools to help them be active and strong.

Posted: 5:53 PM Nov 15, 2011
Reporter: Brian Hutton, Jr.
Email Address: brian.hutton@wtok.com

Newton County Elementary School cut the ribbon Tuesday for new playground equipment and the launch of Project Fit America.
Project Fit America is a national public charity that establishes academic programs in schools to improve the physical education of children. The program provides outdoor fitness training equipment, indoor mobile fitness equipment, staff training, and curriculum support materials.
The elements of Project Fit are what most children are capable of doing

"This grant offers us, K through 5, elements that will help students build towards strength training," said Janine Vincent, grant writer. "It doesn't matter what size or weight they are. It's something they can do at home once they get the vision of it here at school."
The equipment will get plenty of use by the students.

"We plan to, with Mississippi being the most overweight state in the United States, we plan to implement our kids, K through 5 here. Take them out a couple times a week on the equipment, just teach them the importance of physical fitness and how important it is, the older you get, to be physically fit," said Tonette Cochran, physical education teacher.

It is the hope that by getting kids involved in elementary school, they will go on to be healthy, active adults.

"Coach Cheatham was talking earlier, you know, they get kids over at the high school that maybe can't jump rope or have not been as physically fit," said Cochran. "We're hoping with Project Fit, these kids will learn at an early age to be physically fit and carry it with them through their years."

It's never too early to start living healthy.