International Fitness Challenge Comes to Ed White Elementary

News provided by

Jan 27, 2014, 12:48 ET

HOUSTON, Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will kick off "Mission X 2014: Train Like an Astronaut International Fitness Challenge" Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Ed White Elementary, 1708 Les Talley Drive in El Lago, Texas.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

Experts from NASA's Johnson Space Center will hold a training session at the school, a USA team member of this year's physical fitness challenge that involves participants from around the world. The event will take place from 12:25-3 p.m. If activities are cancelled due to weather conditions, the event will take place at the same time Wednesday, Jan. 29. Media interested in attending should contact the school at 281- 284-4300.

Mission X and Train Like an Astronaut representatives from JSC, with leadership and support from Ed White physical education teachers Wendy Clough and April Fortenberry and principal Matthew Paulson, will help about 40 Ed White staff and about 460 students better understand the Train Like an Astronaut project and International Space Station activities.

"Mission X helps our students not only to desire physical fitness like an Astronaut, Mission X connects physical fitness to academic success," said Paulson. "It opens our students' visual horizons to a greater understanding that they are important participants, who have a real role, in a global world. As a STEM school we value those connections."

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will participate in four Train Like an Astronaut activities including Mission Control, Agility Astro Course, Crew Assembly and Building an Astro Core. While participants perform each activity they also will learn about its space relevance.

This is the fourth year of the Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut International Fitness Challenge. This year the challenge includes about 18,000 participants from 24 countries who engage in physical fitness activities as well as science activities that address living a healthy lifestyle.

The project's materials and activities are available in 15 languages at:

http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/

SOURCE NASA