INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A brand new program called “RightFit” combines food, fitness and mentoring to help hundreds of Indianapolis Public Schools students.
IPS partnered with Indianapolis Indians to create the not-for-profit organization and kick things off this month.
Elementary students stay after school from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. three days a week. The kids eat dinner, get help with their homework and exercise together. The program focuses on nutrition based education, along with lessons during dinner about topics like etiquette and grocery shopping.
The students also get to hang out with local police officers, firefighters, college students and members of the national guard. Organizers say a big part of the program is the opportunity for kids to have dinner at school.
“We have a lot of kids who are hungry and can’t count meals at home, so the third meal is critical,” Meredith Nicholson School Principal Mary Siefert said.
Siefert also says getting homework help is important for her students.
“I have a high ESL population, therefore my parents can always help our children with their homework,” Siefert said.
It’s only week three of the new program, but some students say they’re already noticing a difference in their grades.
“I started RightFit and I got a 10 on my homework,” said Alexa Ortiz-Guzman, a 5th grader at Wendell Phillips School.
“It makes your grades go higher, they teach you stuff, they help you with your homework, you do fitness, you can run, you can play games, they give you awesome meals,” Ortiz-Guzman said.
More than 500 elementary school students are enrolled between four schools right now: IPS Schools 96, 46, 63 and Holy Angles. For more information about the program, click here.
