WESTFIELD – In June of 2013, parents Kelly and Juliet Starrett went to their daughter’s field day at Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael, Calif. Right away, the Starrett’s noticed that during the sack race, a number of children didn’t have the range of motion to hop into the sack.
A physical therapist, Kelly started up San Francisco CrossFit in 2005 with the help of his wife Juliet. With Juliet being a lawyer, she began to run the business side of the company.
After seeing the outcome of their daughter’s field day at the school, Kellie and Juliet noticed sitting in a desk all day may lead to the extreme lack of mobility in the hips that the kids possessed. In fact, Juliet used a rudimentary calorie burning calculator to discover that standing all day versus sitting, burns an extra 95,000 calories which is the equivalent to 33 full marathons.
The parents then realized how much of an impact it could have on children if they stood at school instead of sitting. Working with the program, Donors Choose, Kellie and Juliet were able to get their daughter’s whole fourth-grade classroom standing desks.
According to Kellie, the standing desks adjust to each child’s specific height that way the child is in constant motion. The desks also have a bar or level built into the bottom of the desk called a fidget bar, which swings back and forth.
A third grade classroom at Munger Hill Elementary will be receiving standing desks later this week. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
Through Donors Choosing, the Starrett’s have been able to provide 15,000 kids in public schools throughout America with standing desks and launch their latest company, Stand Up Kids.
“It really fits the goals of a 21st century classroom,” said Starrett. “This is a public health solution.”
Locally in Western Mass, one specific classroom in a school is set to have standing desks.
Katherine Bitzas, a third grade teacher at Munger Hill Elementary School, saw standing desks as a great opportunity for her students.
“I was inspired by that school in California that did it,” said Bitzas.
Inspired Bitzas was, as she went through Donors Choose and helped raise over $11,000. Parents, staff, friends, family, and local businesses all donated money. The $11,000 raised was able to cover all 25 desks and 10 stools.
Bitzas couldn’t believe the support she got from the rest of the teachers at Munger Hill.
“I had their full support,” said Bitzas. “Teachers have donated to the project, they have shown up to PTO meetings.”
Similar to the Starrett’s, Bitzas saw that her students could benefit from the transition to standing desks. Bitzas remembers one student from her class last year that would always stand instead of sitting in his desk.
“He was just more focused standing up,” said Bitzas.
Having students that may have a problem paying attention sitting for long periods of time or dealing with posture issues, Bitzas is happy that changes are being made.
“I think it’s going to keep the kids more alert, more engaged,” said Bitzas.
The idea of the standing desks was also intriguing to Bitzas’s sister-in-law, Diana, who is head of the Kids business unit for footwear and apparel at Reebok.
Kelly Starrett of Stand Up Kids has helped over 15,000 kids in public schools have standing desks. (Photo from Stand Up Kids)
In November of 2015, after Katherine told Diana about the idea, Diana was able to get the both of them on a conference call with the Starrett’s and Stand Up Kids.
After talking about Katherine’s heavy involvement with Boks and how it signifies what Reebok represents, Diana was able to help Katherine get her classroom to be yet another pilot school for Stand Up Kids.
As Diana was reminded that Reebok’s goal is to be the top fitness brand in the world, the standing-desks movement is an initiative that Reebok wanted to be a part of.
“It really is a movement and it really is in the best interest of the kids,” said Bitzas.
With Diana’s effort, Reebok will be giving every student in Katherine’s classroom a special gift to go with the stand-up desks once they are delivered.
With Kellie noting that the goal is to see every public school in the United States using standing desks within the next 10 years, Diana couldn’t be more satisfied to see a school in the Western Massachusetts area joining the movement.
“It’s really amazing to be a part of,” said Bitzas. “It’s our pilot school.”
According to Katherine, the standing desks are expected to be delivered to her classroom at some point this week.
