February 27, 2002, Sacramento, CA - With the high prevalence of student apathy and epidemic levels of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity plaguing California's schoolchildren, the State Assembly Education Committee is convening today at the State Capitol to discuss possible solutions to these problems with education and health experts. One education innovator, the nonprofit American Sports Institute (ASI), will present its blueprint for creating a healthy learning environment rich in student interest and physical activity.

Following today's hearing, ASI will begin the process of creating a charter school that combines a strong appreciation for learning, personal growth and development, academic achievement, and physical, mental and social wellness.
Assembly Education Committee chair Virginia Strom-Martin (First District) called the hearing to examine the role of: 1) health, 2) physical education; 3) the positive aspects of sport culture; and 4) states of consciousness as they relate to learning preparedness, how students learn best, and creating environments where children experience a sense of place and belonging. One of the anticipated outcomes from today's hearing is to discover ways to better prepare potential and current educators as they go through the California teacher training and professional development processes.

"Creating a classroom environment where our children feel a sense of belonging and where physical and mental health are nurtured will enhance our children's learning ability and enrich their education experience," said Strom-Martin.
Through their testimonies, expert witnesses addressing these issues include: Dr. Tim Byers, associate director for Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Colorado Cancer Center; Dr. Joel Kirsch, president of the American Sports Institute; George Leonard, social theorist and winner of 12 national awards for education writing; Dr. Barbara McCombs, director of the Human Motivation, Learning and Development Center, University of Denver Research Institute; and Dr.

David Shernoff, research associate at the Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Saundra Murray Nettles, associate professor in the College of Education, University of Maryland, will present in absentia via a written brief. In addition, administrators, teachers, and students from ASI's educational programs will also testify.

Since 1989, ASI has demonstrated through its educational reform programs that public school students can simultaneously find meaning and fulfillment, increase their personal and social skills, and improve their academic performance while realizing health and fitness gains. However, these promising results have been earned under constrained conditions and in a limited context.

After today's hearing, ASI will deal with these constraints by creating a charter school in which the entire curriculum will be based upon what ASI has demonstrated to date. Currently, ASI's educational reform programs are offered as singleton elective courses at the middle and high school levels, and as complimentary programs at the elementary level.

"Currently, our schools are frantically pursuing academic gains that are largely not being realized and are often at the expense of our children's health, with dwindling levels of physical activity courses sacrificed for more "academic pursuits,'" said Dr. Joel Kirsch, president of the American Sports Institute. "However, we can effectively pursue a balanced and integrated approach to education, one that enriches our students' bodies and minds through a more holistic look at learning. We hope to have our charter school become a model for demonstrating how this approach can be implemented throughout California's public school system."

The State Assembly Education Committee hearing is slated for Wednesday, February 27, 2002, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., in Assembly Hearing Room 4202.
For more information on the State Assembly Hearing or the role of the American Sports Institute in helping to reform California's educational system, please call ASI at (415) 383-5750.

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