Fit for purpose: World's leading Health and PE experts head to Adelaide conference to share latest research and success

Adelaide will bask in the global education spotlight when more than 400 teachers, researchers and health, sport and recreation professionals from across Australia and overseas come together for the 29^th ACHPER International Conference between 13 – 15^th April.

ACHPER National Executive Director, Ms Alison Turner, said the 2-day biennial conference would showcase best practices and share the latest research results from across HPE teaching, Health Education, Sport and Recreation.

“The health of our youth and the role that the education sector plays in the welfare of younger generations is a challenge that Australia shares with most other developed countries around the world, and we are pleased to once again have a number of very high-calibre keynote speakers participating this year,” Ms Turner said.

“Australian school children rank among the worst in the world when it comes to their physical activity levels, which signals an urgent need to better prepare children with the skills, knowledge and understandings to be active and healthy,” she said.

“We can learn from the experience of others and understand that tackling this looming crisis must see schools, teachers, academics and the broader community working together to ensure ongoing, developmentally appropriate and explicit learning about health and movement in schools.”

Ms Turner said the theme of this year’s Conference - Values into Action - A Brighter Future – offered a provocative focus on the critical importance of developing educational initiatives and community opportunities designed to foster active and healthy living.

“Health and Physical Education is an investment in the future health and well-being of our youth, and must be a learning area that is valued as much as literacy and numeracy skills at school if we want to provide a foundation for lifelong active and healthy living,” Ms Turner said.

“The conference is also an opportunity to celebrate the great work of the many dedicated professionals and recognise their commitment to improving student learning outcomes through pedagogies designed to engage students with the skills, knowledge and understandings for the 21^st century,” she said.

“Quality Health and Physical Education in schools should be offered to all young Australians, and ACHPER – as Australia’s leading Health and Physical Education advocacy body – is proud to host this important conference.”

Keynote speakers at the 2015 conference include:

Griffin Longley, Nature Play WA – who will focus on the risk of future generations not experiencing an active, creative and resilient childhood, and the fact that Australian children now spend, on average, less time outdoors than a maximum security prisoner. His address will explore ways to address this growing trend of childhood isolation, and whether technology should be seen as an enemy or ally in keeping children engaged in the real world around them.

Alfred Deakin Professor Jo Salmon, Deakin University – will present the success of the Transform-Us! program across 20 primary schools in Melbourne, and how it has increased children's physical activity and reduced their sitting for just 8c per child a day. With just 22% of boys and 20% of girls normally engaging in the recommended 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day, schools are becoming increasingly important as settings for promoting children’s physical activity. Her research has shown that about 60% of the school day is spent sitting and will demonstrate how relatively minor changes to the environment and classroom pedagogy can positively impact children’s behaviour, activity levels, concentration in class and other important health variables.

International keynote speaker, Professor David Walsh, from the San Francisco State University will share his experiences using Hellison’s Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model in Chicago and San Francisco, and will highlight the goals and strategies of this values driven model in practical application. He will also talk about his current youth program of past four years, called the “Kinesiology Career Club”.

ACHPER’s International Conference will be held at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, and more information about the program and speakers can be found at http://www.achper2015.com/wb/pages/national-conference/home.php

For further information, to attend the conference, or to arrange a media interview, please contact:

Megan Cowper, ACHPER National Communications Coordinator, on 0402 243 220 or email megan.mattin@achper.org.au.

ENDS

The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER)is the leading professional association representing teachers and other professionals working in thefields of health and physical education in Australia. ACHPER’s purpose is to promote active and healthy living for all Australians, particularly young people, through education and quality professional practice. For further information visit www.achper.org.au.