Conozca a Heidi Collins - Coordinadora de Run the Halls

Imagine hallways filled with students who can’t wait to get moving. That’s what it’s like for more than 300 K-2 youngsters at Lakeland Primary School in LaGrange, Indiana.
 
Students look forward to the Run the Halls program, started in the spring of 2021 as a way for students to be physically active.

Easy to set up. Simple to use.

 “Our kids are always so excited to get started,” said Heidi Collins, physical education teacher. “Kids who have done nothing in the past find a way to move.”
 
The entire school does a morning walk down the hallways every Friday. Each time they complete a lap, the students scan QR-coded badges to track their progress.
 
“We measured the hallways so we know how many laps the kids need to go for one mile,” Heidi said. “And we have the outdoor track they can use that is a quarter mile.”

Free EZ scan app tracks student progress

 Another bonus of the Run the Halls program is free access to the EZ Scan app. The app makes it easy to store and organize student stats each year.
 
“It takes a little bit of time to show the younger kids how to use their badges with the QR codes,” said Heidi. “The older kids know how to do it and can’t wait to get started.”
 
The reward for stepping out on a walk or run is a brightly colored foot token that students can put on their lanyards, make bracelets or turn into necklaces. Four laps around the outside track earns the student one foot token. After recording five miles, a student gets a special reward token. Other tokens mark 13.1 or 26.2 miles logged by students.
 
Tokens, support materials and supplies are all free for schools that participate in Run the Halls. The fun program is supported by Goshen Health and open to schools in a four-county area.
 
Hallways are just one place Lakeland students go to track some steps. They can walk or run the track outside during recess or hop, skip and jump around the gym.
 
“They tap into an activity now at an early age and become lifelong movers,” Heidi said.
 
Heidi also sees what a difference the EZ scan app makes with her mileage club. She downloads a spreadsheet with the club roster into the app and sets the program into motion.
 
“It makes this part of my job so much easier,” she said. I love it!”
 
To find out how to set up a Run the Halls program at your school, call (574) 364-2496 or enroll online.