2025 IMPACT REPORT
SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States The organization’s extensive community includes a diverse membership of health and physical educators, as well as advocates, supporters, and 50+ state affiliate organizations.
Since its founding in 1885, the organization has defined excellence in school-based health education and physical education For decades, SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards have served as the foundation for well-designed physical education programs across the country, just as the SHAPE America National Health Education Standards serve as the foundation for effective skills-based health education Together, these national standards provide a comprehensive framework for educators to deliver high-quality instruction and make a positive difference in the health and well-being of every preK-12 student.
Vision A nation where all children are prepared to lead healthy, physically active lives
To advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport www.shapeamerica.org
WELCOME FROM THE CEO
SHAPE America is proud to share the following summary of accomplishments that we have achieved this past year on behalf of the health and physical education (HPE) community
It has been a joyful year of service and throughout all of it, the SHAPE America team kept our focus on serving and celebrating health and physical education teachers We worked hard to help them be their best selves so they, in turn, could ensure their students had positive, lifechanging experiences in health and physical education
And of course, we never let up when it came to advocating for and with our health and physical education community to ensure that strong support is in place for these programs in our schools.
The following report offers an overview of the organization’s strategic priorities, as well as the programs and initiatives that have made an impact this past year. In all that we do, we aim to equip and empower educators to create effective programs that provide all students with access and opportunity to be successful in physical education and health education.
None of this would be possible without the generous support of SHAPE America’s members, supporters and partners Together, we’re building a healthier future for students nationwide
Sincerely,
Stephanie Morris CEO, SHAPE America
Advocacy
Serve as the national leading and unifying voice advocating for health and physical education.
ADVOCACY
Advocacy is always a critical focus for SHAPE America as we continued to engage with those in key federal offices to build strong support for health and physical education In February, SHAPE America hosted another incredibly successful SPEAK Out! Day with more than 142 members representing 39 states
During a half-day prep session, participants received training by SHAPE America’s advocacy consultant and lobbyist Karen Johnson on the state of play in Congress, meeting talking points, and recent legislation impacting education. The following morning, participants headed to Capitol Hill meetings with their members of Congress, where they shared how health education and physical education are making a difference in their states and why health and physical education have never been more important for students
This year certainly felt a little different as participants engaged in many conversations about the importance of a federal U S Department of Education and about funding public education in general, as well as the harmful impact of frozen grants within our education community, both for our research colleagues at colleges and universities and in the education nonprofit community In every meeting, participants advocated in a strong, unified voice on the importance of funding for Title II and Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Overall, it was an incredibly empowering event for the health and physical education community
SHAPE America works throughout the year to empower, guide and support stakeholders in serving as effective advocates for health and physical education funding and support throughout the country.
During the past year, we promoted “backyard advocacy” in Momentum magazine and shared additional advocacy resources on our website, especially during National PE & Sport Week.
As part of its advocacy work, SHAPE America also collaborates with health and education organizations to influence federal public policy that advances national health and physical education priorities.
This year, we represented the health and physical education professional community at a variety of meetings and events, which includes (but is not limited to) the following:
The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Meeting
President’s Budget Briefing at the U.S. Department of Education
The National Fitness Foundation Meeting
Active Schools Strategic Advisory Committee
Title IV-A Coalition
Student Healthy Advocacy Coalition
The Roundtable on Obesity Solutions, convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
National Educator Shortage Summit (hosted by AASPA)
National Physical Activity Alliance, through serving on the Sport Steering Committee (SCC)
Joint Commission on Sport Medicine and Science
Outdoor Education Foundation Meeting
Through ongoing efforts, SHAPE America also advocates for health and physical education teacher preparation programs and provides support for the recruitment and retention of diverse student teacher candidates.
In February, we worked with our Recruitment and Retention Task Force to once again host “I Love HPE Week,” a virtual campaign which highlights the importance of continuing to recruit a diverse range of individuals into the profession As part of the campaign, we shared #CareerWhy interviews and several new resources designed to help higher education faculty members who have recruitment roles and functions
In April, we hosted Critical Conversations in HPE: A Forum on Teacher Preparation and Retention. This pre-conference event at #SHAPEBaltimore brought together key stakeholders to explore ways to strengthen the pipeline of certified HPE teachers.
Community
Foster and grow a strong, diverse and inclusive community within the health and physical education field
COMMUNITY
In building community, SHAPE America celebrates and uplifts all health and physical education professionals (including future professionals) and provides a forum for them to convene and engage with each other.
Our premier in-person event the annual SHAPE America National Convention & Expo brings together thousands of health and physical educators (and future educators) for professional development, networking and collaboration.
The 2025 national convention was held April 1-5 in Baltimore. SHAPE Maryland and SHAPE America Eastern District were true partners in helping us achieve a successful, high energy event that attracted thousands of attendees This year, new online convention guides enhanced the convention experience for our primary attendee groups:
PreK-12 HPE Teachers: Helped educators find the activities, sessions and workshops that fit their role and subject area and networking events with other teachers
Students: Guided these attendees to student-focused forums (including our new Student Summit), career-launching opportunities, and the legendary College Bowl competition
Higher Education Faculty and Researchers: Made it easy to find research presentations, PETE/HETE-focused events, and collaboration opportunities with higher ed peers.
State and District Administrators and Coordinators: Helped these attendees find leadership-focused sessions, policy discussions, and forums — and made it easier to connect with the decision-makers who are shaping HPE’s future.
As always, we extend our deepest gratitude to Gopher for continuing to serve as our exclusive equipment provider for the national convention!
Convention Volunteers
At #SHAPEBaltimore, more than 135 attendees served as convention volunteers — assisting at the registration desk, delivering equipment to activity sessions, and more. In exchange, they received a registration discount, a fun volunteer T-shirt, and a $10 voucher to use on merch at the SHAPE America exhibit booth!
“Send a Teacher” Grantees
Fiona Mullen (at left), a physical education and health teacher at New Rochelle High School in Orangeburg, NY, was one of three educators to receive a 2025 “Send a Teacher” grant, which included free convention registration.
Additional grantees: Reyes Andon, PS 376 (Felisa Rincon de Gautier), Brooklyn, NY; and Emily Langlois, Kelly Elementary, Enfield, CT.
Awards, Grants & Scholarships
Throughout national convention week, SHAPE America honored and celebrated approximately 50 awardees, grantees, distinguished lecturers and scholarship recipients. In addition, approximately 70 college students attended the Major of the Year Ceremony, where they were recognized for outstanding achievement while family and friends cheered them on.
National Teachers of the Year
One of the highlights of the national convention is always the live announcement of SHAPE America’s National Teachers of the Year!
SHAPE America also celebrates and uplifts health and physical educators through our Teacher of the Year program, which recognizes outstanding teachers in the following categories:
Adapted Physical Education (K-12)
Elementary Physical Education (K-5)
Middle School Physical Education (6-8)
High School Physical Education (9-12)
School Health Education (K-12)
Dance Education (K-12)
Individuals who are named Teacher of the Year by their state affiliate are eligible for SHAPE America's District Teacher of the Year award and have a three-year window to apply at the district level. District winners are then eligible to apply for the National Teacher of the Year award using the same eligibility rules.
SHAPE America is proud to continue working with all of our state affiliates to support them as they grow their state Teacher of the Year program. Based on requests from our affiliates, we created a nomination flyer that makes it easier than ever for teachers to nominate their peers (or themselves). These flyers were displayed at state conferences to help promote state Teacher of the Year programs and encourage nominations.
We also offer additional tools, resources and financial support to those participating in our State Teacher of the Year Partner Program. This year, we expanded the program by allowing state affiliates to participate even if they had another program partnership in place We now have 16 participating state affiliates, and the feedback is extremely positive
Our deepest gratitude goes to the Teacher of the Year Partner Network SPARK, Wellness Training Specialists, Gopher, and Goodheart-Willcox Publisher for their generous support of SHAPE America’s Teacher of the Year program
Through ongoing efforts, SHAPE America recruits diverse volunteer leaders and provides leadership development opportunities to build capacity within the field.
One of the ways we do this is by hosting the SHAPE America Leadership Summit. The fourth annual summit was held in February 2025. This year’s event, which had 66 participants from 32 states, was planned with significant input from the SHAPE America State Affiliate Advisory Council.
Once again the event preceded SPEAK Out! Day and featured trainers who addressed best practices in building a strong culture of engagement and partnership within the board, as well nonprofit finance, accounting and tax status information. Attendees also received updates regarding the revised national standards, the Teacher of the Year program, and health. moves. minds. , powered by Booster. ®
SHAPE America also continued to make dedicated efforts to connect state affiliate leaders with each other and with SHAPE America, providing them with resources and support. Examples of that included:
Publishing a state affiliate newsletter that allows states to share information with each other, and which provides resources and information from SHAPE America;
Continuing the Leadership Conversations Continued (LCC) virtual meeting series, which covered a variety of topics for state and district leaders;
Reaching out to welcome each new state affiliate executive director and providing them with a “SHAPE America Welcome Kit,” which includes a directory and helpful resources.
In addition to these efforts, SHAPE America continued its work on the SHAPE America State Affiliate Advisory Council (SAAC), which is composed of 15 members:
Five SHAPE America district directors (with ongoing terms);
Five current state affiliate executive directors (one from each of the five SHAPE America Districts), to serve two-year terms;
Three at-large members (current SHAPE America members with proven affiliate experience and knowledge), to serve 2-year terms;
Two SHAPE America board leaders, to include the CEO (with an ongoing term) and an additional member of the SHAPE America Executive Committee (to rotate as appropriate)
The council acts as an advisory body to support broad collaboration, connection and communication between SHAPE America state affiliates, both with each other and with SHAPE America.
As part of our work, SHAPE America provides opportunities for schools to build capacity through community give-back programs.
This year, we saw exciting progress with our flagship fundraising program, now known as health. moves. minds. , powered by Booster. ®
Thanks to our new partnership with Booster, a national fundraising company, as well as our ongoing support from our national partner Gopher, we celebrated the following accomplishments during the 2024-2025 school year:
This was officially our best year yet with a 20% increase in leads generated, a 46% increase in schools requesting to register, and an increase of more than 28% in total funds raised;
We had schools register from 38 states (including the District of Columbia) and received increased interest from both the middle school and high school sectors;
For the first time in the program’s history, a school raised more than $20,000;
In all, we had 43 schools complete their fundraiser during the 2024-2025 school year, raising a total of more than $249,500!
We remain encouraged and hopeful for future growth through this partnership with Booster. On almost every practical level, they are the ideal partner for us and for health. moves. minds.
health. moves. minds.®
During the 2024-2025 school year, health and physical educators nationwide used health. moves. minds. , powered by Booster to raise much-needed funds for new equipment, playground improvements, and more ®
Educators also used the program’s included lessons and activities to teach students important life skills such as kindness, respect and philanthropy. After using the program, many teachers noticed a positive change throughout their school!
Top 5 Fundraising Schools 2024-2025
School Total Funds Raised
1.Central Minnesota Christian School (MN)
2 Glenn R Marshall Elementary School (KY)
3.Twin Chimneys Elementary School (MO)
4 Greenwood Elementary School (PA)
5.Bell Creek Intermediate School (OH)
$25,582 31 $21,444.60 $17,995.50 $16,602.50 $16,540.00
To celebrate the successful completion of their fundraiser, students at Odessa Upper Elementary School took turns “sliming” the principal and assistant principal
Knowledge & Practice
Advance the knowledge and practice of all health and physical educators to support the development of health and physical literacy in all students.
KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE
One of SHAPE America’s highest priorities is to safeguard and champion the National Physical Education Standards and the National Health Education Standards. These standards serve as the foundation for well-designed physical education and health education programs across the country.
At the 2024 national convention (#SHAPECleveland), we announced the release of SHAPE America’s new National Physical Education Standards and National Health Education Standards Since their release, both sets of standards have been met with great excitement and enthusiasm
We’ve heard from HPE teachers and PETE/HETE faculty about how much further these standards will take the profession in terms of helping students develop the skills and motivation needed to live a healthy and active life
In the past year, North Dakota became the first state to adopt state standards that are based on our National Physical Education Standards and Vermont adopted both the National PE Standards and the National Health Education Standards. Several other states are currently working through the standards adoption process, and we are eager to support them in that work.
SHAPE America has shared the stories of teachers, school districts, and states that have embraced the new standards through feature articles and Standards Spotlights in our all-digital magazine, Momentum. These have included:
The New Standards Are Here: Now What?
Be a Catalyst for Change in YOUR State: Educators Play a Vital Role in Implementing New National Standards
New Standards? We're In! How One of the Country’s Largest School Districts Aligned Its PE Curriculum With SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards
Standards Spotlight: Ian Burfoot-Rochford (Vermont)
Standards Spotlight: Jason Semanoff (Maryland)
One of our organizational priorities is to provide high-quality, standards-based resources and professional development opportunities that are inclusive and accessible.
In the past year, we were proud to work with our publishing partner Human Kinetics on the release of two new standards books:
National Physical Education Standards, Fourth Edition: The go-to book for all physical education teachers, this text provides the framework for creating curricula, designing lesson plans, and developing assessments
National Health Education Standards, Third Edition: This text empowers preK-12 health educators to develop high-quality health education programs that improve outcomes for students, providing them with skills for lifelong health and well-being
In addition, we published two new books that will help educators meet the new standards:
Cultural Equity in Physical Education: Case Studies for Transformative Practice: This book provides case studies and question prompts that are designed to stimulate discussions and increase cultural awareness as well as intercultural competence.
The Essentials of Teaching Health Education, Third Edition: This text provides health education teacher education (HETE) students and in-service teachers all they need to build and teach a successful health education program using a skills-based approach
SHAPE America also developed several new standards-based professional development opportunities:
The SHAPE America Summer Institute provided standards-based sessions on timely topics such as culturally responsive teaching, intersectionality, and using the new National PE Standards and National HE Standards to develop IEP goals This event also hosted the first Training of Trainer opportunity for our new national standards workshops
New workshops on Implementing the New SHAPE America National Standards (available for both PE and Health), Effective Strategies in Adapted Physical Education, and Teaching a Skills-Based Approach in Health Education, as well as customized workshops that can be tailored to school/district needs (virtual/in-person options available).
Two new webinar series on Diving Into the New National Standards available for both PE and Health explain the new standards and show teachers how to implement them in the classroom, inviting educators to consider the lived experiences of their students and craft lesson plans with those diverse experiences in mind
Free 101 webinars for both the National PE Standards and the National HE Standards provide an introduction to the revised standards and an overview of the changes.
In addition, we released new PE and Health resources as part of our Back to School campaign:
Student-Friendly Standards Posters for Health and PE (available for elementary and secondary, in English and Spanish);
National Standards Bulletin Board Printables (available for elementary, middle school and high school);
National PE Standards Crosswalks (available for elementary, middle school and high school);
National HE Standards Side-by-Side Comparison (available for all grade spans);
Digital Pocket Planners for Health and PE to help prepare for instruction (broken down by standard and grade span)
A third priority within this area of focus is to engage the health and physical education higher education community to promote research and to connect it with policy and practice. This past year, SHAPE America accomplished this in numerous ways.
As always, we continue to engage the higher ed community through SHAPE America’s four signature journals, which reached more than 100,000 readers on five continents Combined, we publish 25 issues annually and manage more than 1,200 manuscript submissions Members of higher ed community are actively involved as contributing authors, contributing editors, and editorial board members
Here are a few particular highlights for 2024:
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (RQES) had nearly 900 article submissions, published 83 articles, and saw online downloads of more than 271,000 articles last year, which put it in the top 5% of all journals with Taylor & Francis.
American Journal of Health Education (AJHE) published 41 peer-reviewed research articles Full-text article downloads remain strong, reaching 86,000
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD) continues to have a strong online reach, particularly with school-based practitioners, seeing 196,000 article downloads.
Strategies, which published 30 articles last year, is circulated to more than 3,100 institutions globally Topics covered include coaching, cooperative learning, preventing athlete burnout, inclusive PE, tailor-made games, and the new National Standards, and more
We also continue to share relevant content with the higher ed community through Momentum magazine, Research in Motion, Et Cetera, and the SHAPE America Blog
In addition to the engaging the higher ed community through various SHAPE America publications, we also carried out a range of outreach efforts and activities, including:
SHAPE America continued to partner with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) to provide PETE/HETE programs the opportunity for National Recognition through a SPA (Specialized Professional Association) review. Last year, we provided several webinars and workshops to support program report writers, as well as workshops and training for individuals interested in becoming a program report reviewer. Members of the higher education community were instrumental in the work to revise the new National Physical Education Standards and National Health Education Standards, and several of these members completed training at the 2024 SHAPE America Summer Institute in Minneapolis in order to become national standards trainers
Starting at the 2024 Summer Institute and continuing through #SHAPEBaltimore, SHAPE America has engaged with the higher ed community regarding the process to revise the PETE and HETE standards We look forward to this ongoing work together
SHAPE America representatives have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to students at PETE/HETE programs across the country Additionally, CEO Stephanie Morris traveled to several state conferences this fall where she had the opportunity to attend PETE/HETE sessions and engage in discussion with this community about the new standards.
SHAPE America’s Professional Preparation Council hosted another highly successful Higher Education Professional Preparation Summit at #SHAPEBaltimore, which addressed timely and relevant topics within the PETE/HETE community Expanding from six sessions in its inaugural year to 10 sessions this year, the event was well attended and positively received
Leading Healthy Schools
SHAPE America continues in our third year of overseeing a highly competitive grant in the form of a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We utilized this grant to build and launch the Leading Healthy Schools initiative
Leading Healthy Schools (LHS) is a free, year-long professional development and coaching program that helps school administrators gain the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a school that prioritizes student health and wellness. Participants engage in collaborative learning experiences and receive coaching that is targeted to their school’s context and their leadership role.
In 2025, we were excited to welcome the second cohort of LHS administrators at #SHAPEBaltimore, where they had the opportunity to meet in person and present to the HPE community.
Leading Healthy Schools was developed by SHAPE America through the National Initiative to Advance Health Equity in K-12 Education by Preventing Chronic Disease and Promoting Healthy Behaviors,
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Finally, we are grateful to the members of SHAPE America’s five program councils (including all related task forces and special interest groups) for their efforts in helping to advance knowledge and practice this year All of the councils presented sessions and hosted Coffee Talks at #SHAPEBaltimore and contributed to the organization’s content and resource pipeline
Highlights of these contributions include the following:
Health Education Council Created content and helped raise visibility for October’s Health Literacy Month. Members of two task forces created the following new guidance documents: Appropriate Practices in School-Based Health Education and Inclusive Practices in Health Education.
Physical Activity Council
Continued to help develop monthly activity calendars (in partnership with the other councils) This Council also reviewed and revised several guidance documents and position statements, which will be released shortly
Physical Education Council — Helped produce monthly activity calendars and provided input on guidance documents, position statements and other content as needed.
Professional Preparation Council
Continued to maintain two task forces (on PETE/ HETE recruitment and on social justice in PETE/HETE programs), in addition to hosting the Higher Education Professional Preparation Summit (HEPPS) and monthly convenings of the Undergraduate Student Leadership Network
Research Council — Worked with SHAPE America staff to publish the Research in Motion email newsletter and bimonthly UnLock Research articles, in addition to reviewing abstracts for the research portion of #SHAPEBaltimore and selecting research lecturers, award winners, grant recipients, and Research Fellows
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY
SHAPE America remains committed to employing strong, sustainable business practices, which includes continual efforts to expand and diversify revenue (including cultivating non-dues revenue) to safeguard financial stability and position and underscore SHAPE America’s role as the leading voice on health and physical education.
One of the ways we achieve this is by partnering with national youth sports organizations to cocreate resources and curriculum. Highlights from this past year include the following:
Completed an update of the NFL FLAG In-School curriculum with GENYOUth; Created health education mini-lessons with the National Institute on Drug Abuse; Updated the Fun at Bat curriculum with USA Baseball
Collaborated with the United States Tennis Association to update the Net Generation curriculum;
Partnered with PlayCore to update the PlayOn! Guide
SHAPE America also continues to have strong partnerships with other NGO organizations, which has also allowed us opportunities for visibility and connections. These organizations include (but are not limited to) the CDC, the National Academies of Sciences, Advocates for Youth, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Peer Health Exchange, American Public Health Association, SEICUS, the Office of Domestic Policy, and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education
Federal Partnership
In part because of our relationship with the CDC and successful stewardship of our Leading Healthy Schools cooperative agreement, we ended this fiscal year with another huge win by securing a new five-year CDC cooperative agreement totaling $1 million This will be used to support implementation of the new national standards and state policy around HPE
This new cooperative agreement will also give us the opportunity to secure additional supplemental funding which we have already done (totaling an additional $500,000 for FY2025) This new funding is a significant win for SHAPE America and our HPE community as it opens up additional opportunities for our organization to serve all professionals in our space
Total FY24 Expenditures
Thanks to the strong support of our members and our partners, and the prudent financial stewardship of our staff, SHAPE America advanced our mission and came through the year in strong fiscal health. The total expenses for FY24 were $4.36M, compared to $4.5M in 2023.
Top 4 Categories of Expenses for FY24
Total expenses for FY24 were $4.36M, compared to $4 5M in FY23
Total FY24 Revenue
Top 4 Categories of Recurring Revenue for FY24
Total revenue for FY24 was $4 15M, compared to $4.3M in FY23.
FY24 included a budgeted negative net income due to investments in the development and launch of the new national standards At the end of FY24, SHAPE America received two new cooperative agreements from the CDC These projects will have positive impacts on the FY25 financials
Your support fuels everything we do.
SHAPE America sets the standard for health and physical education in the United States, and as part of our mission we advance best practices, strengthen guidelines, and advocate for high-quality HPE in schools nationwide.
We believe that through standards-based health and physical education, teachers can prepare all children to lead healthy, physically active lives
And with your continued partnership, we’re turning that vision into reality one class, one school, one community at a time.
Together, we’re making a lasting impact.
SHAPE America Leadership
2024-25 Board of Directors
President
Cara Grant
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD
President-Elect
Joe Deutsch North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Past President
Sarah Benes Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT
CEO
Stephanie Morris
Directors Andro Barnett Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV
Tari Garner Retired Physical Education Instructor, Plattsburg, MO
Andy Milne New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL
Tonya Moore Los Angeles County Office of Education, Downey, CA
Will Potter Serendipity School, Belmont, CA
Victor Ramsey New York Department of Education, Brooklyn, NY
Robin Richardson Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY
Joe Velardi Connecticut Association of Schools, Chesire, CT
SHAPE America Senior Staff
Stephanie Morris CEO smorris@shapeamerica.org
Adam Pomerantz
CFO and Senior Vice President, Business & Finance apomerantz@shapeamerica org
Carly Wright Chief Program Officer cwright@shapeamerica.org
Beth Bennett Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Fundraising bbennett@shapeamerica.org
Katie Kaefer Vice President of Marketing, Membership, and Publications kkaefer@shapeamerica org
