Resources
No.44
May 2005
 
   

Watching the Web: A Webliography on Advocacy, Calls to Action and Leadership in Physical Education
Gretchen Ghent, Canada


Many physical education and youth sport/physical activity associations, government education authorities and health professionals have reacted to or assumed leadership in the struggle to save physical education/sport programs in their schools and communities. Physical education and health professionals seek to reverse the trend toward obesity and inactivity in youth. Utilizing the search engines, Google (http://www.google.com/ ) or Teoma (http://www.teoma.com/ ) the key phrases, physical education advocacy, or physical education call action, or youth sports advocacy uncovered key websites and online documents.

The following are some of the resources found on a recent search for information.

Databases
ERIC Database
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
· Freely available on the web, this education database has a number of periodical articles and reports on the topic of physical education advocacy.

SPORTDiscus
http://www.sirc.ca/products/sportdiscus.cfm
Many colleges and universities have subscriptions to this international sport sciences database (or see this website for short term access). Using the descriptors; physical education and advocacy, there are many articles on the topic in a wide range of periodicals.

Websites
Action for Healthy Kids. Commitment to Change
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/
This group, supported by a wide range of US physical education, education, and health organizations, was formed upon the release of the US Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity (2001) and the US Dept of Agriculture’s Foods Sold in Competition with School Meal Programs: a Report to Congress, (2001). Website has action plans and other documents.

Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
http://www.cflri.ca/
Consult the many research documents on this website including the Children and Physical Activity: a call for action on a significant health issue.

Concerned Adults, Students & Parents for Physical Education Reform (CASPER)
http://www.csuchico.edu/casper/
This organization started by faculty at California State University, Chico, is an advocate for quality physical education programs run by professional, dedicated teachers.

Disability in Sport: Education & Advocacy
http://www.sportinsociety.org/disability/
This website is backed by the Sport in Society project at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity
http://www.hepa.ch/
Is a coordinating body supported by the UKK Institute and includes the Europe on the Move initiative.

European Physical Education Association
http://www.bvlo.be/eupea/
· Has in fulltext of the three Declarations of Cadiz, Madrid & Punta del Este, a statement on Quality Physical Education, and the Berlin Agenda.

Michigan. Dept. of Education. K-12 curriculum, Physical Education
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753---,00.html
See the various documents on quality PE policy, economic cost of physical inactivity, PE standards, etc.

National Association for Sport & Physical Education
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/
This organization has many position papers and documents on statistics for advocacy in the Media and Advocacy section. Look also in the Publications section for a list of free position papers.

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC agency), Healthy Youth/Physical Activity
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/physicalactivity/index.htm
Has a section on school health policies and programs in physical education plus fulltext documents on physical activity for youth at risk.

New Zealand. Ministry of Education. Health and Wellbeing
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/

PE Central. Supporting and Defending Your Physical Education Program
http://www.pecentral.org/professional/defending/defendingpemenu.html
Included here are many documents and reports on how to defend proposed cuts in physical education programs, advocate for improvements and integrate PE with other school curriculums.

PELINKS4U
http://www.pelinks4u.org/links/advocacy.htm
This directory to many topics in physical education includes this section on advocacy links.

Physical Education Association of the UK, PEAUK Policy Statements
http://www.pea.uk.com/menu.html
Policy statements on professional development, equal opportunities, PE curriculum, Contribution of PE to the whole curriculum are available fulltext.

SpinEd Project
http://spined.cant.ac.uk/
Supported and promoted by ICSSPE, the IOC and Canterbury Christ Church University College, the website has case studies, links and academic references on the benefits of quality physical education

Strategic Inter-Governmental Forum on Physical Activity and Health (SIGPAH)
http://www.nphp.gov.au/workprog/sigpah/index.htm
This group was established in 1999 under the auspices of the Australian National Public Health Partnership, as a national approach in supporting health-promoting physical activity in Australia. See their Action Plan on this website.

World Health Organization. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/en/
Has many reports declarations and suggestions for action.

World Health Organization, Move for Health, Links (to websites related to physical activity and health)
http://www.who.int/moveforhealth/links/en/
This directory to organizations, institutions and associations is a good place to continue a more indepth search.

Specific Publications in Online Format
Agita Mundo – Brazil. Health Promotion
http://www.agitasp.com/
See the fulltext of the Declaration of São Paulo to Promote Physical Activity in the World.

National Heart Foundation Australia
http://www.heartfoundation.com.au/
See the fulltext document entitled: Physical Activity and Children: A Statement of Importance and Call to Action from the Heart Foundation (2001)

Ontario Physical Education Association.
http://www.ophea.net/
Fostering Active Healthy Living in Ontario School Communities: Advocacy Positions and Call to Action, May 2004. 8p.

Other Resources
Many other fulltext documents may be found on the Women’s Sports Foundation websites in the US (http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/) and the UK (http://www.wsf.org.uk/ ) and other national, state, provincial physical education associations around the world.

Researched by:
Gretchen Ghent,
Librarian Emeritus(VP for North America & Publications Officer for the International Association for Sport Information,
Chair, North American Sport Library Network, and
Member, Editorial Board, ICSSPE)
C/o The University of Calgary Law Library
2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Tel: 403-220-6907
FAX: 403-282-6837
Email: gghent@ucalgary.ca




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