Run/Walk Across America...

The Run/Walk Across America curriculum came out of a June 2005 discussion between Paul Staso and his then 5th grade daughter, Ashlin. The father/daughter talk was about the fitness level of kids today and soon they were discussing ways that Ashlin and her classmates at Russell Elementary in Missoula, Montana, could be encouraged toward greater fitness.

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On May 1, 2011 Paul Staso Became The First Person
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In A Mere 17 Days!

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It was agreed that running and/or walking is the most basic form of exercise to increase fitness. As the two talked, the idea was raised to have the 4th and 5th grade students aim to virtually run/walk 3,200 miles across the United States during the 9-month school year.

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The students would combine their individual mileage as a class to see if either class, or both, could virtually cross the entire continent as a team within one 9-month school year. Paul Staso developed the Run/Walk Across America curriculum during the summer of 2005 and the project began in September 2005 at Russell Elementary in Missoula, Montana.

Research had showed that some other P.E. programs in America had done similar virtual treks; however, Paul created a unique motivating element into the endeavor ─ one that is likely a first for such a curriculum. It was decided that if either the 4th grade class or the 5th grade class, or both (but not combined), could virtually cross the continent by the last day of school on June 9, 2006, then Paul would actually attempt to run the entire route across America that the students virtually crossed... and would do it alone. He stood before the 97 kids in September 2005 and made that promise.

Both classes proved to be successful and finished what is believed to be the first fully documented virtual trek crossing of the entire United States within one school year by a single class (the 5th grade class of 40 students finished first). Congratulatory letters were received from mayors, governors, senators, and others from around the United States. The curriculum online guestbook was signed by people worldwide and in May 2006 Paul was even contacted by NBC News about a possible feature on their "Making A Difference" segment. Unfortunately, NBC decided not to prepare a news story for a national audience due to other stories that they deemed as a greater priority.

Keeping his promise, Paul's Oregon to Delaware run, called P.A.C.E. Run 2006, began June 23, 2006 and was fully documented through an extensive web site where the students could follow his progress and actually see the locations that they virtually traveled through during the previous school year. Ultimately, Paul's focus with each step was to fulfill his promise to the students, and he was also promoting physical fitness in children of all ages.

The route that was selected for the Run/Walk Across America included 15 states and 3,200 miles. Also, rather than just focusing on physical education and physical activity it was decided that the run/walk should also educate the students about the U.S. and the various places that they were virtually running and walking through. Information was collected and an educational web site project developed. This project from the 2005-2006 school year remains online as a model for schools to use in developing their own virtual treks. You can visit the journey at www.pacetrek.com/seeusrun.

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The purpose of each virtual trek is for students to run and walk toward greater fitness while at the same time learning about the locations that they virtually travel through. It's through this combination of fitness and learning that students experience places beyond their school boundaries in a unique and challenging way. The virtual trek web sites developed by Paul Staso regularly acquire visitor traffic from around the world. The www.pacetrek.com/seeusrun site from 2005-2006 gets many visitors each school year, and Paul frequently receives e-mail messages from teachers asking how they can implement a similar program in their schools.

Paul's 7 Teaching Goals Through P.A.C.E. Trek Challenges

1. The importance of good health/nutrition, as well as the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise.
2. The benefits that can be experienced from running and/or walking (the original way to better fitness)
3. That if you take care of your body it can take you on some wonderful adventures.
4. Interesting information about the various locations that he runs through completely alone.
5. The importance of setting goals and pursuing dreams no matter what obstacles might be in front of you.
6. That a positive attitude and the desire to positively impact the lives of others can be very rewarding.
7. That perseverance can take you places that you never imagined you could get to.