RHB/6/22
Sponsored by Ashwin Sanjay, Adit Harish of McCallie School
This legislation was filed in the Education category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | Usually students attend after school activities such as sports, clubs, and many other things, but |
| 2 | not everyone has time for that. Due to the amount of workload at schools, students don’t have the |
| 3 | time for them to keep up with their Physical well being. Therefore, all schools in the state of |
| 4 | Tennessee should have a specific “Outdoor” period implemented in their day, so students will have |
| 5 | guaranteed benefits to their physical well being. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Preamble: |
| 8 | Acknowledges that students’ academic success and overall development are closely tied to their |
| 9 | physical health. |
| 10 | Recognizes that heavy academic loads often leave students with insufficient time for outdoor |
| 11 | activities. |
| 12 | Proposes the creation of a mandatory 1-hour outdoor period during the school day. |
| 13 | Section 2: Establishment of Outdoor Period: |
| 14 | Requires an official state “outdoor” period to be observed daily in all public and private schools |
| 15 | within Tennessee. |
| 16 | Allows schools to choose the specific timing for this period, as long as it spans one hour. |
| 17 | Section 3: Implementation and Guidelines: |
| 18 | School administrators are responsible for ensuring that adequate time and space are provided for |
| 19 | students to participate in the state school “outdoor” period. |
| 20 | Teachers and staff members must facilitate the necessary resources to make this period successful |
| 21 | and beneficial for students’ physical well-being. |
| 22 | Section 4: Promotion of Student Physical Wellness: |
| 23 | Guidance counselors and health educators play a crucial role in supporting students’ physical |
| 24 | health. |
| 25 | They provide resources and encourage students to explore different activities during the “outdoor |
| 26 | period.” |
| 27 | Activities for this period will be designed by the guidance counselors in each school. |
| 28 | Section 5: Mandatory Participation: |
| 29 | Participation in the state school “outdoor” period is mandatory. |
| 30 | Students cannot choose to utilize this designated time for academic activities. |
| 31 | If students refuse to participate, there will be consequences as if they were missing a regular |
| 32 | class. (Those rules would be based on the school) |
| 33 | Section 6: Evaluation and Review: |
| 34 | The effectiveness of the state school “outdoor” period will be evaluated annually by the Tennessee |
| 35 | Department of Education. |
| 36 | Consultation with school administrators, teachers, and students will inform any necessary |
| 37 | adjustments to the types of activities offered. |
| 38 | Section 7: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed |
| 39 | Section 8: This law should take place beginning the next Academic year |
| 40 |