Schools Working To Increase Students' Interest In Physical Education

NBC Nightly News (3/19, story 12, 2:20, Williams) reported that though budget cuts and increased focus on academics are causing many districts to eliminate gym class, "some communities are finding ways around it, helping kids learn and grow in a healthier way. ... In Miami Dade County where 14% of middle school students are obese, there is a new approach to physical education. Catering to kids' interests." The piece notes that the district's physical education director has been drumming up community funding for the past decade, and that "Nautilaus Middle, a school without a gym turned a classroom with worn out equipment into a wellness center with high tech, kid-friendly machines."