FAQs
What is Walk On!?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is teaming up with elementary schools throughout
the state for a fifth year of Walk On! – a fun, motivating program
designed to get kids across Arizona moving. It’s all part of an effort to
promote exercise as a key element of a healthy lifestyle. Walk On! will continue to
include a month-long exercise challenge for fifth-graders in February. Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Arizona is also offering program tools such as teacher tips and classroom posters to
K-8 classrooms statewide.
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Why did Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona create this program?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona cares about Arizona children and it is concerned about the alarming number of them who are affected by obesity. Walk On! is a positive first step in helping to reduce the incidence of obesity among children in the state.
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Is Walk On! open to anyone who wants to register?
The Walk On! Web site and online resources are available for anyone, K-8. The Walk On! Challenge was specifically designed for fifth-graders based on research that revealed that this age group
1) sees physical fitness as important,
2) thrives on goal-oriented behaviors that build self-esteem, and
3) are still seeking approval from adults, making them more receptive to school programs than their older counterparts.
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How can fifth-grade teachers register for the Walk On! Challenge?
Registering for the Walk On! Challenge is easy. Teachers should visit azblue.com/walkon, and follow the links for teachers to learn more.
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Is there a deadline to register for the Walk On! Challenge?
Yes. All registrations for the Walk On! Challenge must be submitted
online at azblue.com/walkon by December 18, 2009. However,
you can download and print the interactive student brochure from azblue.com/walkon.
Sign up today using the registration form.
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Are there any new additions to the 2009 Walk On! Challenge?
This year’s Challenge asks fifth-graders to track the number of minutes they spend doing physical activity
each day, aiming for at least 60 minutes per day for all 28 days in February. If you’re familiar with
Walk On!, then you’ll note that this year’s Challenge moves away from measuring steps taken with
pedometers. Instead, tracking minutes opens the Challenge to more kids and expands the variety
of physical activities they can count toward their goal. And along with the great prizes for the kids,
schools have a chance to win one of five $5,000 grants to be used to further impact the childhood obesity level in Arizona.
It’s a big year for the Walk On! Challenge and all who participate.
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When does the Walk On! Challenge begin?
The Walk On! Challenge will officially begin Feb. 1, 2010.
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What do teachers receive when they register for the Walk On! Challenge?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona created an interactive program guide for teachers to provide to each
of their fifth-grade students. In addition, teachers will receive instructions on implementing the
program along with examples of what other teachers have done in the past. New this year is a set of
pre- and post-event surveys that will allow teachers to measure how much
their students learned participating in the program.
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Can Walk On! Challenge participants earn rewards?
Yes. The Walk On! Challenge is open to fifth-graders throughout Arizona, and at the end of the Challenge,
all participants who complete the Challenge and submit their results will receive a popular Walk On!
drawstring backpack. Fifth-graders who exercise 60 minutes per day for the entire month of February
will also be eligible to win one of five Wii FitsTM or one of 40 iPod® shuffles. Schools that support
the Walk On! Challenge in the classroom with specific curriculum and achieve 100 percent participation
from the fifth-graders in each class will be eligible for a $5,000 grant to be used to further
impact the childhood obesity level in Arizona. Click here to read the grants selection criteria.
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How can teachers in grades K-8 participate?
Teachers in grades K-8 will have access to a wide range of tips, tools and resources that they can adapt to implement fitness activities and lessons in their own classrooms.
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Can participants in grades K-8 earn rewards?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has created template reward certificates that teachers can download and print from the Walk On! Web site.
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How did Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona determine the goal of 60 minutes per day?
Numerous national organizations, including National Institutes of Health and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, cite 60 minutes as a reasonable daily goal.
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Will students receive pedometers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona?
This year’s Walk On! Challenge tracks minutes instead of steps. Not only does this
open the Challenge to more people and increase the variety of exercise they can do,
it also eliminates the need for a pedometer. Now any fifth-grade teacher who is
interested can participate in Walk On! because there is not a limited supply of
materials.
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