Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/256387
two mornings a week. We had 80 kids signed up in just two weeks," says Tullie. "It didn't take long before we heard back from parents and teachers about the positive difference they were seeing in their kids. We knew we were really onto something." Tullie and her two other co-founders formed a nonprofit organiza- tion and reached out to Dr. Ratey to see if he would join the board. "He e-mailed me back 20 minutes later," says Tullie. She then approached Reebok to see if they might donate some products. "Instead they asked me to bring the program under their roof since BOKS is so closely aligned with their goal: 'Empowering kids to be fit for life.' Reebok has a bold mission to change the culture of spectators to a culture of participants, and there's no better way than to start with our youth," says Tullie. Despite the fact that national guidelines recommend children get at least sixty minutes of physical activity a day, fewer than four percent of US elementary schools offer daily physical education and only fifty- seven percent have regular recess. With childhood obesity now at epi- demic levels, Tullie is hoping to reverse that trend with BOKS, while also boosting academic standards. Today, the BOKS program is alive and well in 569 schools across the US, including all seven Wellesley elementary schools, as well as St. John's and St. Paul's, and Countryside in Weston. "Our ultimate goal is to be in every elementary school across the country," says Tullie. The twelve-week program typically runs two to three times per week for forty minutes, and follows a curriculum that varies each week. All adult trainers are encouraged to go through a training regimen at Reebok headquarters in Canton. Best of all, because BOKS is sup- 138 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 "Our mission is to promote the profound impact of physical activity on a child's mind, body, and community." – K a t h l e e n Tu l l i e , Fo u n d e r a n d E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f B O K S fitness & health "empowering kids to be fit for life" BOKS stars cheer each other on C O U R T E S Y O F D A R R E N B O V I E