If I ever became a physical education teacher, OPEN Phys Ed would be my go-to resource for inspiration and ideas. That’s because OPEN Phys Ed focuses on making physical education open (no pun intended), inclusive, and fun for all students. To that end, they provide resources for activities that were never a part of my physical education classes when I was in school.
A great example of what OPEN Phys Ed provides to teachers and students is found in their free Believe In You empowerment program.
The Believe In You Empowerment Program is available in versions for elementary school, middle school, and high school settings. Each version of the program includes journals for students to keep. Those journals are organized around themes of grit, enthusiasm, goal setting, gratitude, generosity, and loyalty.
The full Believe in You program has contains activities for forty weeks of short lessons. A grid of the SEL concepts covered in the forty weeks is available.
In addition to the journals and thought-based activities, the Believe In You Empowerment Program has some physical activities for students to do. These include fun group activities like a leadership dance party and charades.

As a dad to two young daughters I, and my partner, spend a lot of time thinking about ways to build their confidence and make them feel empowered. Therefore, I’m a huge fan of OPEN’s Believe in You programs and journals.