From One School
in Natick Massachusetts
To 10,000+ EnrollmentsAcross the Globe
In 2009, Kathleen Tullie, a mom and now Founder and Executive Director of BOKS, read the book, Spark, by Dr. John Ratey. The book clearly set forth the research as to why kids should be active before school and she was inspired to create a program at her children’s elementary school. With school approval and a group of passionate moms, BOKS was launched. Spread through “word of mom” the program grew virally across the U.S. Today, thanks to passionate volunteers and corporate sponsors, BOKS is getting kids active in schools and youth organizations across the globe.
Our Mission
MAKE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PLAY PART OF EVERY CHILD’S DAY
Our Vision
A HEALTHIER & HAPPIER GENERATION OF ACTIVE KIDS
BOKS was inspired by the book Spark, which found:
- Exercise is… “Miracle-Grow for the Brain”
- Aerobic activity shaped 19,000students from Naperville, Illinois making them the fittest and some of the smartest in the Nation
- “Exercise is the single most powerful tool that we have to optimize the function of our brains”
“Programs such as BOKS that help children not only develop healthy habits to promote optimal growth trajectories but also promote social and emotional skills that can help them better handle stress, peer interactions, and negative feelings are just what children need and should be broadly scaled. The program’s being school-based and run by volunteers gives it the potential of affecting a large number of children equitably without the need for substantial resources.”
Elsie Taveras, MD
MPH, chief of the MGHfC Division of General Academic Pediatrics
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Better standardized ELA test results
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
Improved shift and working memory skills
PHYSICAL FITNESS
Decreased body fat percentage; increased cardiovascular endurance; increased activity time outside of BOKS
NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Increased knowledge of nutritional and healthy living concepts
2022 BOKS by the Numbers
BOKS Burst Subscribers 0
Kids Active in 2022 0
BOKS Video Views 0
New Resources in 2022 0
In the News
BOKS worked with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Reebok, and Project Backboard to revamp their 3rd basketball court together
