The Story of PALOeducation
History
In March 2017, while skiing on the snowy spring ski tracks, our conversation went to our work, as usual. As the talking went along, we noticed that we were pretty pleased with the things we had accomplished in the school world. We had been in a big role creating the active culture of our school – culture that activates majority of students. We had developed activities for active and less active students. We had been a part of planning and creating the everyday environment to be more motivating and activating. For a while we had been going around Finland, educating other teachers and lecturing about the models that we had developed.
From all this arose an intriguing question: could there be even more use of our expertise beyond our work community? Or even beyond the Finnish borders?
We discussed our thoughts with our colleagues and other professionals. We got re-enforcement for our thoughts. The children and youth physical education needs innovative and courageous professionals like us!
Why physical activity?
The connection between physical activity and well-being has been known for some time. We know that physical activity advances both physical and mental health in many different ways. We know the connection to weight-control, blood pressure, aerobic capacity, the function of muscles and joints, quality of sleep and mood, to mention but a few. It might still come as a surprise to many that there is also a straight and meaningful connection between physical activity and learning.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Education and LIKES Research Center, there is a positive correlation between active breaks during lessons and integrated physical activity into teaching to school grades and standardised test results.
The undeniable results of recent studies also mark out the path we walk on. Activating students, during and between lessons, is our field of expertise.
Why PALOeducation?
Our asset and competitive edge is experience. It can be seen unfortunately often that activity that is directed to children is being carried out sparing from expertise. The frame may be in order, but the execution might be done by a student or a trainee. Surely, this can work too, but often even the most innovative students lack one important piece of the expertise puzzle: an experience of what works with children.
We professionals at PALOeducation have over ten years of experience in moving children, and teaching both in the world of school and free-time. We have developed new dimensions to children`s physically active hobbies (Child-Parent Wrestling), taken control of the latest ideas (School Golf Program) and walked on the frontier of development (School on the Move, CDG-model) all our careers.
In the background of this all is the fierce desire to make children´s physical activity more meaningful and motivational. Also all this has boosted our own work.
The foundation of our bank of ideas is experience, but it completes and renews constantly. The core of it all is in the way of thinking: we search and create possibilities for moving – and involve children into the process. A child´s imagination is an endless resource – and it is awesome to feed this imagination. Us adults have to take care of the safety aspect, but if rarely has to mean banning the action. Our experience in moving children between ages 1 to 12 is enormous, and we know how to give them age-appropriate challenges.
We have been part of planning physical education spaces to schools and city areas. Also, we have constantly developed the everyday environment of our students into a more activating direction. We have an understanding on how to get the most out of an already built environment in order to enable more active life.
For whom?
For schools that want to renew their work environment and culture into active and motivational.
For sport clubs that need an expert´s point of view on what works with children of a certain age.
For companies, who design or carry out activities in children´s physical activity and/or education.
As You can see from all above, we have worked with a wide range in the broad field of physical education. So, when You are planning on activities or an active environment for children or youngsters, don´t be afraid to contact us!
Jesse, Jon and Samuli
PALOeducation
PALOeducation is a Finnish expert organization for physical education and active learning. Our goal is to bring more physical activity into children´s everyday life. Even though our story is just beginning, we have years of strong experience in the field of physical education, coaching, training and consulting. We have been a part in developing active culture in the city of Jyväskylä, both in curriculum planning and in the everyday practices of schools. We have been a part of the Schools on the Move programme since its creation. We have also developed action cultures into our own community that have been nationally recognized and awarded.