With support from the Bright Minds Foundation, students at Hanover Hills Elementary School are gaining more than just exercise during physical education class — they’re gaining the tools to understand lifelong fitness. This year, the school launched “Get a Running Start to Lifetime Fitness!”, an innovative instructional approach led by PE teacher William Perez that weaves health-related fitness concepts into every PE unit. Using heart rate monitors and personal fitness trackers, 5th grade students learned to measure and interpret their cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility in real time, transforming abstract concepts into hands-on learning experiences.
The results were powerful. By the end of the school year, the 5th grade cohort improved their average health-related fitness assessment scores by 58% compared to the fall baseline and scored 18% higher than the previous year’s 5th graders. Rather than teaching fitness as a standalone unit, the new Health-Related Fitness Technology (HRF-Tech) model integrated fitness knowledge throughout the year, helping students continuously build and apply their understanding. Repeated exposure to heart rate monitoring during activities like the PACER test and partner strength challenges allowed students to adjust their effort, reflect on performance, and make meaningful connections between movement and health.
Student testimonials:
“Ever since I got this, I’ve been moving much faster and it makes me motivated to see how much my much heart rate can go.”
“One really cool thing I experienced from having this is that I can see my heart rate while I’m moving. I can actually see how fast my heart is beating in a second. I like it.”
“It helps because you can see how fast or how slow your heart rate goes down, and you can also see other stuff, like how many steps you take during exercise.”
“I really like the heartbeat feature because it’s like a regular watch, but it’s also a heart monitor, so it tracks your heart rate. Sometimes it’s not 100% accurate, but that’s okay.”
“The thing I really like about these monitors is that you can see how much you run and how much your heart is beating. It shows you how many minutes you’ve been running and how long you’ve been working out.”
Perhaps the most visible impact, however, came during everyday warm-ups. In years past, many students simply jogged laps without much engagement. This year, when wearing heart rate monitors, students began tracking their progress, challenging themselves to complete more laps, and actively training to improve their cardiovascular fitness. Teachers observed more students taking ownership of their health than ever before — a shift that signals lasting impact beyond the gym. Building on this success, Hanover Hills plans to expand the program to additional grade levels next year, continuing to inspire students to develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Thanks to generous community support for Bright Minds’ Teacher and Classroom Grants program, educators like William Perez can bring creative, student-centered solutions to life. The Get a Running Start to Lifetime Fitness! program is a powerful example of how targeted funding can build important lifelong skills for Howard County students.
Bright Minds is currently accepting teacher and classroom grant applications for projects that will be delivered during the 2026-2027 school year. For more information about supporting Teacher and Classroom Grants and other Bright Minds initiatives that enhance educational opportunities for HCPSS students and educators, please visit brightmindsfoundation.org/donate.
