nordic opportunity redefining education for the...

REEBOK SPARTAN RACE | 234 CONGRESS STREET | BOSTON, MA 02110

© 2004–2015 SPARTAN RACE, INC. | SPARTAN.COM

NORDIC OPPORTUNITY

REDEFINING EDUCATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION



Imagine your students with new levels of grit and resiliency



Today’s Student Challenges

• Many stuck in “Survival Mode”

• High expectations driving depression and anxiety

• “Super parenting” limiting natural resiliency development

• Pervasive technology rewarding lack of focus



Are Your Students In Survival Mode?



Youth Are Struggling with Expectations

According to Dr. Slavin of SLU Medical School, the high expectations put on

today’s children are causing them to suffer from anxiety, depression, and

maladaptive perfectionism”

Graph Source:www.soccerwire.com

http://www.soccerwire.com/



Super Parenting Trap

• Not allowed to fail and recover

• Given little freedom in choosing activities

• Not allowed unscheduled “play” time

• Being continually “cleaned up” after by their

parents. For example, if their child forgets their

homework, lunch, books, etc.. the parent will bring

it to school for them.

Today’s Children Are:



Obsession With Technology Is Inhibiting Growth

….What does all this mean for raising your children? The bottom line is that too much screen time and not enough other activities, such as reading, playing games and good old unstructured and imaginative play will result in your children having their brains wired in ways that may make them less, not more, prepared to thrive in this crazy new world of technology.

“Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing,” said Michael Rich, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and executive director of the Center on Media and Child Health in Boston. And the effects could linger…”

Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

How Technology is Changing the WayChildren Think and Focus



Grit and Resiliency

• Give students the tools to adapt, recover and grow

• Provide a firm foundation to accept high expectations and

perform accordingly

• Open a path to independence and

resourcefulness…beyond the helicopter parents

• Bring focus and determination to today’s chaotic

technology backdrop



The Solution From the World’s Resiliency Experts

• Integrate grit and resiliency into

your mainline curriculum

• Assess and Train your educators

• Institute summer camps to

reinforce these principles



FIND YOUR TRUE

NORTH

MAKE A COMMITMENT

FUEL YOUR

ENTHUSIASM

DELAY

GRATIFICATION

MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME

GET GRITTY

ATTACK ADVERSITYADJUST FRAME OF

REFERENCE

BE HONORABLE

I AM SPARTAN

Built on the Ten Principles of the SpartanX Ethos



Guided by Education’s Thought Leaders

Roy Horan, School of

Design, The Hong

Kong Polytechnic

University

Angela Duckworth,

Ph.D., UPENN

Tal Ben-Shahar,

Ph.D., Harvard

University

Carol Dweck, Ph.D.,

Stanford University

Prof. Barbara Fredrickson,

North Carolina at Chapel

Hill

Spartan Edge was developed referencing the work and research

of some of the world’s leading education thought leaders.



In The Classroom

• Provide the tools for implementation

• Proven in class exercises

• Sample lesson plans

• Implementation webinars

• Sharing lessons with other educators

• Certify the educators

• 10 module online learning course

• Instructor-led webinars after each module

• In-person seminar

• Certification by the end of the school year



Early Success Globally Throughout Pre-K to HS

and University

Irvington High School

Irvington, CA

See Appendix for Additional Detail



Their words….

“Counting to 100 is hard

because I won’t be able to do

it until I am a grown-up, but I

will keep practicing.”

(tenacity)

Henrik, 4 yrs old

“Stamina means

you have to be

patient, and I have

to be patient when

I have to help set

up the room for

lunch.” (stamina)

Emory, 6 yrs old

“I am powerful and strong

because I did an obstacle

course race at my church. It

was a little scary and

dangerous, but I had fun.”

(power)

Sierra, 6 years old

“The influence Spartan has had on me and my family has been life-changing.” “Complaining,

weakness of will, and short-changing myself went out the door and were replaced with courage,

tenacity and determination .” “My son began to take on the same can-do, I'm powerful, "let's do

this" attitude he was seeing in mommy. “ Kelly (Mom)

“[My son] has thrived since starting preschool. His body craves and seeks movement. His social

and speech language skills, which he had previous delays, have skyrocketed. He seems to have

more confidence in himself and has reduced anxiety.” Lindsay (Mom)

The Parents

The Kids



Introducing Spartan Edge Camp



Summer Camp

Resiliency Doesn’t

Break For the Summer • Teaches grit and resiliency in a

natural environment

• Provides challenging obstacles

and opportunities for learning

• Lays out practical strategies for

coping

• Teaches skills necessary to

prevail



Summer Camp Details

• We license to you the

rights to use SpartanEdge

• Counselors trained by our

staff

• Manual provided with day

to day hour to hour details

• Week long or can be

tailored to your needs

• Ages 6-16



CONFIDENTIAL

Thank You

Give Your Students the

For more information contact Diane Stokes at

[email protected]

nordic opportunity redefining education for the...

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