Winning Daily Mile Stories

The #DailyMile schools have truly outdone themselves this year with their #DailyMile Stories!

We were absolutely blown away by the incredible stories (and videos and photos) that were submitted for the $50K Move 2 Movement Giveaway. It’s truly amazing to see how much of a difference the #DailyMile program can make in the lives of students and their teachers all across the country.

From schools that have implemented the program for the first time and seen tremendous improvements in their students’ physical health and academic performance, to schools that have been doing the #DailyMile for years and have made it a beloved tradition, every winning entry in the giveaway showed just how much impact this simple yet effective program can have.

We want to congratulate all of the schools that participated in the giveaway and thank them for sharing their inspiring stories and photos with us. We hope that their success inspires even more schools to adopt the #DailyMile and start seeing the incredible benefits for themselves. With programs like these, we can help create a healthier and happier future for all of our children. Checkout the winning $50K Move 2 Movement Stories below …

Story 1: I have been taking my students on the Daily Mile for two years and Love It! We do our Daily Mile at least three-five times a week as long as weather permits. If we don’t take our Daily Mile, the students are disappointed, so I try to make sure that we have time to fit it in. Why do I love it?  For several reasons!  First, it has really supported my classroom culture. Students are able to build relationships with each other and me. It is hard to find time to just visit with students (for example ask them what their favorite food is; what did they do over the weekend; have they seen a movie lately?). The Daily Mile has given me this time and it has made a huge difference. Students trust me and know that I care … that alone impacts their performance in my classroom – they want to please me. I have also been able to use this time to have “student conferences.” We talk about their classroom performance (strengths and weaknesses) and how they can be successful. Next the movement has had an effect on their ability to focus. We do not have lunch in first grade until 12 o’clock, which means we have four hours in the morning of hard work before they get to leave the room. The Daily Mile has been a great way to break up that time, and refresh my kids. They get their “wiggles” out. I’m not sure if the Daily Mile is the only impact, but the kids seem to be happier and healthier. Finally, the Daily Mile helps me! I love going out for a brisk walk as much as the students.

Story 2: I have had used the Daily Mile in my classroom for a couple of years now. It has been great! Not only is a simple and free, I have seen it have an impact on my students success in the classroom. When students came back to school after COVID, they did not know how to communicate. The Daily Mile has helped with this.  At first, they would bicker or not even visit with their peers. After instruction and conversation about respect and what it looks like before we took our Daily Mile, this slowly changed. Kids were talking and being respectful with each other. I took it a step further and created “talking cards” so that they would use academic vocabulary. I’ve enjoyed this time with me students as well. They visit with me about their concerns and share their successes. Our Daily Mile helps my students and me by providing a break from the classroom and movement which helped us refocus on our learning when we come back to the room.

Every school day, students at Stony Brook Elementary School have the opportunity to participate in the Daily Mile. During the 2022-2023 school year, students got to start their day with this wonderful program as part of what we called “W.I.N.” (What I Need). Directly after morning announcements, students got to go outside and begin their Daily Mile. While completing the Daily Mile, students were encouraged to walk with at least one other person, and to talk to them about their interests, family, likes, etc. This helped students form relationships with their peers, which was so crucial after being isolated during COVID. It also enabled the Physical Education teachers and other staff members who joined on the walks to get to build relationships with students as we walked with them. Oftentimes, we found that students started off the morning moving quietly and slowly, and gained energy and enthusiasm as they went. After being active for about 5 minutes and kicking off an endorphin boost, the tempo would pick up and student energy would soar! At the end of their 15 minutes of movement students were talkative and alert! Several teachers reported a positive impact on student behavior and focus as a result of the walking program. Everyone is so excited to be continuing this program for the 2023-2024 school year.