The Wilbur Wright Flyers—a team of six teachers from Wilbur Wright PreK-8 School in the West Boulevard neighborhood—earned fifth place last month during the Healthy Kids Spring Step It Up Challenge. Sep It Up, a national no-cost, four-week step program that promotes daily healthy habits for participants and encourages them to be active role models for students, is sponsored by the Health Action Council.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Wilbur Wright Flyers team included students Brandi Dawson, Kim Francescone, Amanda Caraballo, Claire Medwid, Kelly Gulling, and Jane Birt. The team won $500 after they averaged 411,292 total steps between March 20 and April 9. 

The team represents a diverse group of classrooms in the school, including pre-k, general education classrooms, and special education classrooms,

“Our team achieved steps by motivating each other to get our daily walks or runs in—with the help of some friendly competition,” says Wilbur Wright intervention specialist Birt. “We had a group chat to help motivate each other and to keep each other accountable. We supported each other throughout the challenge—with one of us training for marathons! Walking on lunch breaks and finding opportunities to walk or run throughout the day, instead of sitting, has been rewarding for our team.”  

The theme for the Spring Step It Up Challenge was Scavenger Hunt. “Participants learned to challenge each other, work together and have fun, while practicing healthy habits such as staying hydrated and monitoring blood pressure,” Health Action Council president and CEO Patty Starr said in a statement, adding that  staff participation modeled good habits for students through their actions—such as participating in physical education classes, talking about the importance of physical and mental health, participating in team sport activities, and encouraging students to also take extra steps throughout the day.

Wilbur Wright’s Birt says all of their teachers incorporate fitness into their classrooms every day—including yoga programs, chair exercises, adapted movement and flexibility programs, and community walks. 

“Many students have learned to track progress on fitness goals,” she explains. “Scheduled movement in our classrooms teaches an important life skill that can benefit students when they become adults. We hope that students can see that a short walk and flexibility or strength exercises can become options to reduce stress, enhance mental focus, and promote overall wellness. This also helps students improve their functional independence in their environments.” 

Birt says the Wilbur Wright Flyers plant to use the winnings for sensory equipment and playground equipment at the school.

The regional challenge attracted 319 participants from 38 teams, achieving a collective step goal, and having over 81,221,186 total steps, which unlocked a $500 donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana. 

Other challenge winners included Bluffton Elementary School, which earned the win as top steppers with an average of 809,363 steps; Perry Local Schools in Massillon took second place; Northern Local Schools in central Ohio took third place; and Boulder Valley School District placed fourth.