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ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. , 2008) -- GeoFitness Inc., a leading provider of products and programs for education and physical fitness, is expanding
on a pilot program that began last fall with third grade students who improved math scores at Orlando’s Bonneville Elementary School.
GeoFirness is a curriculum-based fitness and education company that creates movement and exercise mats for people of all ages, according
to president and founder Dr. Debby Mitchell.
The program at Bonneville uses GeoFitness’ Meaningful Movement Mats. The mats – which have colorful numbered boxes,
symbols, patterns and the alphabet – are used with instructional DVDs, music CDs, curriculum guides, movement dice and task cards
to aid in learning, said Mitchell, a physical education specialist, author, presenter and researcher, and an associate professor at UCF.
When taught correctly students receive the benefit of academics, brain stimulation, exercise and core building, she said.
Last fall, students at Bonneville participated in 30 minutes of what is called the "Geo Learning Lab" every two days, according
to Principal Dr. Kimberly Bias.
The sessions – part of the SPA (Social & Physical Activity/Academics) program – allowed teachers to focus on any skill
they chose while fulfilling the amount of physical activity required by state law.
Third-grade teacher Cindy Johnson had her students focus on math skills while using the GeoMats. The result: math scores improved
by 30 percent.
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide GeoFitness on a school-wide level this year,” Bias said. “With the
150-minute physical education mandate we have to think even more creatively on providing daily fitness without impacting the limited time
available to meet other mandates.”
While Bonneville was a pilot for the program, Mitchell said she’s had tremendous interest from numerous Orange County schools to
start up similar programs.
“We recently did a presentation for 150 classroom teachers at the Orange County Public Schools Staff Development Day,” Mitchell
said. “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the interest we received.”
GeoFitness is a client of the University of Central Florida Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park.
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For more information about this release, please contact:
Sarah Hamilton, GeoFitness marketing manager, 407-275-0510 or s.hamilton@geofitness.com;
Dr. Debby Mitchell, GeoFitness, 407-275-0510 or d.mitchell@geofitness.com;
Carol Ann Dykes, Site Manager UCF Incubation Program, 407-882-1120 or cdykes@mail.ucf.edu;
Charlene Hager-Van Dyke or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142.
About GeoFitness:
Founded in 2002 by Dr. Debby Mitchell, GeoFitness Inc. is an emerging fitness leader that produces specialized fitness and activity mats,
as well as supplemental learning aids. The company’s goal is to meet the training needs of individuals and groups of all ages and
fitness levels. The company manufactures a variety of mats that are used not only for physical fitness, but also to help participants
of any age learn everything from letters, colors, shapes, directions and telling time to number sequencing, math problem solving and
food groups and nutritional values.
About the UCF Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging
companies create over $300 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across
the metro Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between UCF, Orange County, the City of Orlando,
Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu. |
