Lori Rose Benson
Executive Director of the Office of School Wellness Programs
New York City Department of Education
Which of the 8 Sectors are you involved in and why did you choose that particular sector?
With 1.1 million students in 1,600 schools, my portfolio aligns well with the Education Sector. My team is responsible for supporting physical education, health education and the NYCDOE’s School Wellness Policy to help young people develop lifelong fitness habits and healthy behaviors. Our initiatives include a range of school-based supports including classroom teacher physical activity training, the CHAMPS Middle School Sport and Fitness League, year-round professional development for teachers and administrators, and the NYC FITNESSGRAM citywide fitness assessment program which issued 810,000 individualized student and parent reports in 2010. Although I primarily work in the education sector, our initiatives in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) leverage resources and messaging across agencies. For example, we partnered with the DOHMH to analyze data and publish the NYC FITNESSGRAM findings, which showed a striking correlation between fitness and academic achievement.
What's most exciting to you about the U.S. having a National Physical Activity Plan?
The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) offers a critical national platform to support and expand the important work of building school-level capacity to create a culture of wellness. I firmly believe that the collaboration of all sectors in a common push to raise fitness levels is essential in attacking childhood obesity and its attendant health consequences.
What will success of the NPAP look like to you in 3 years, 5 years? 10 years?
Success of the NPAP will include evidence revealing that:
- Substantial synergy is developed throughout the country linking education with public health initiatives
- Data is routinely used to drive physical education program decisions and maximize resources at the local, state and national levels
- School systems will be inspired to continue to find new opportunities before, during and after the school day to increase students’ physical activity