Li Na, Liu Xiang and Cristiano Ronaldo Help Honor 100
of China's Most Inspiring and
Innovative PE Teachers
BEIJING, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Through a joint
effort with the National Elementary and Secondary School Sports
Education Steering Committee and the China Education Development
Foundation, Nike announced the results for Nike's Active Schools
Innovation Award yesterday evening at the Water Cube National
Swimming Center in Beijing.
After evaluating over 1,000 cases, the panel of judges decided
on the final award winners: 28 teachers were recognized for
Innovation in Culture of Sport; 25 teachers were awarded for
Innovation in PE Lessons; and 47 teachers won awards for Innovation
in Extracurricular PE Activity. Of these winners, 30 teachers
will be given an opportunity from the Nike Community Impact
department to visit the U.S. for exchange and training.
"PE teachers are messengers who share knowledge and culture
about physical education. All of you are the 'heroes' who ignite
your students' love for sports and motivate them to take part in
sports activities. You hold one of the greatest and most important
jobs. Your dedicated efforts help children grow up healthy, and
your devotion deserves attention and recognition," said
Angela Dong, Vice President and
General Manager of Nike Greater China. "Nike will continue to work
with the Ministry of Education to collect and recognize excellent
cases from the Active Schools program, promoting innovative
practices in physical education and fostering sports culture in
Chinese schools, so together we can pass on the power and joy of
sports to even more children."
Legendary Chinese athletes Li Na
and Liu Xiang attended the event as
award presenters, and the award ceremony culminated with the
appearance of the world's top soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who came to the Beijing event as part of his "Ignite
Brilliance" trip to China.
The Active Schools program is part of a long-term strategic
partnership between Nike and the Chinese Ministry of Education that
aims to encourage children to get active both inside and outside
the classroom. As part of this collaboration, the Active Schools
Innovation Award is designed to encourage and reward innovative
practices for physical education in primary schools, as well as
share and promote related experiences, best practices and
achievements across regions. The awards also aim to motivate more
front-line PE teachers to use innovative ways to encourage children
to participate in and become passionate about sports
activities.
"Physical education is an integral part of education. Sports are
not only beneficial to one's health, but are also a means to
cultivate one's personality, build character and foster team
spirit. All of this stems from allowing students to truly
experience the joy of sports," said Wang Dengfeng, Director of the
Department of Physical Education and Art Education under the
Ministry of Education. "The Active Schools Innovation Award is a
significant explorative effort by the Ministry of Education to
bring in social resources to support physical education. I hope
that with the implementation of the Active Schools initiative, more
outstanding role models will emerge from the PE teaching field to
help promote youth sports in China."
Winning Examples of Innovation Recognized by Li Na, Liu Xiang
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Liu Jianhua, winner of the award
for Innovation in Culture of Sport and volunteer teacher in Yire
Village of the Erqi Township in Meigu County, Liangshan,
Sichuan Province, made the most of
existing facilities at his school's rural location to encourage
children to get active. This included regularly showing sports
videos to students and organizing a school basketball team and
cheerleading squad.
Video: Liu Jianhua
Zhang Jing, a PE teacher from the
Dongsheng District 4th Primary School of Ordos, Inner
Mongolia, innovated from the ordinary by taking advantage of simple
equipment to create new group exercises that enabled full, active
participation from all of the students.
Li Na presented the Innovation in
Extracurricular PE activity award to Zhang
Jing and others, and noted, "I started playing tennis when I
was 6 and have met many excellent teachers and coaches during my
career. I have benefitted from their support, guidance and
encouragement throughout my life. I hope the Innovation Award event
will attract more public attention for PE teachers, giving them
more recognition and respect."
Video: Zhang Jing
Guo Heng, winner of the award for
Innovation in PE Lessons and a teacher from Longxi Special
Education School, Gansu Province,
originally taught math but volunteered to become a PE teacher at a
school for the hearing impaired. After joining the school staff, he
began to learn sign language and organized a track and field team
for deaf students to give them the opportunity to participate and
ultimately develop a love for sports.
Liu Xiang, who has participated
in several previous Active Schools programs, presented the award
for Innovation in PE Lessons, and noted: "Children cannot grow up
healthy without the right instructions from PE teachers. We should
give you our special appreciation for all your hard work. I hope
the Active Schools program brings sports culture and knowledge to
more areas in China, and
eventually helps even more children get active."
Video: Guo Heng
Lv Shaowu, winner of the award for Innovation in Culture of
Sport, is a teacher from Hekou Primary School of the Yongji
Township in Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province. Combining his love for soccer
and passion for promoting the healthy growth of children, Lv Shaowu
volunteered to work as a PE teacher and designed a comprehensive
curriculum for children which covers warm-up exercises, basic
skills, team training and soccer knowledge. In the absence of
sufficient teaching facilities at his school, Mr. Lv bought sports
equipment at his own expense. This not only encouraged the children
to get moving, but also ensured that they are able to freely enjoy
engaging in sports activities under appropriate guidance at
school.
Video: Lv Shaowu
In recognition of his contribution, Lv Shaowu was presented with
a pair of CR7 Mercurial Campeões boots by Cristiano Ronaldo, who appeared at the awards
ceremony and stated, "I'm thrilled to be here and to celebrate all
of the PE teachers who are inspiring young athletes in China. The work you do is very important.
Congratulations on this award, and thank you for all that you're
doing with the kids at your school. You are making a difference in
their lives."
75 pairs of the CR7 Mercurial Campeões boots inscribed with
unique numbers were created by Nike for Cristiano Ronaldo to honor his remarkable
achievements. Additionally, 49 pairs of these shoes are
being auctioned in partnership with Alibaba. Nike will match
the proceeds, and the combined funds will be donated to the China
Education and Development Foundation, Nike's Active Schools program
and Lv's HeKou Primary School.
"I had never dreamed of standing face-to-face with Cristiano Ronaldo. Soccer is like my second
life. Helping more children fall in love with and enjoy soccer is
the greatest joy for me. It's an unforgettable experience for me to
be recognized and encouraged by Cristiano
Ronaldo. I will continue to work even harder," said Lv
Shaowu.
About Nike Community Impact:
Nike believes in the power of sport to move the world and unleash
human potential. However, the world is moving less and less, and
today's generation of children is the least physically active ever.
That's why Nike works to get kids (ages 7-12) active early and for
life, because kids are made to play, not to sit still, and active
kids are happier, healthier and more successful. Together with its
employees, partners, consumers and athletes, Nike also supports
important causes which strengthen communities across the
globe. Learn more.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton,
Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and
distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and
accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.
Wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brands include Converse, which
designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear,
apparel and accessories; and Hurley, which designs, markets and
distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and
accessories. For more information, NIKE, Inc.'s earnings releases
and other financial information are available
at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also
visit http://news.nike.com/ and follow @Nike.
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