Tnt Kids Fitness

Programs: Fitness / gymnastics:fitness and gymnastics programs make up 70% of the total programming in numbers and have multiple disciplines. Over 2,000 children, which includes adults and children with special needs participate in one or more of these programs on a weekly basis. Fitness program has multiple disciplines: the fastest growing program supports 800 children weekly. Tnt is dedicated to making positive lifestyle changes for the children that participate in our fitness programs through activity, movement, and encouragement no matter what their abilities. The programs have multiple licensed physical and adapted education teachers and exercise science teachers designing and facilitating all fitness programs. Tnt collaborates with its local higher education students at ndsu, msum, and concordia to provide practicum, field work experiences, and internships. This collaboration has proven to be very beneficial to provide a positive work experience, creativity in learning new approaches to work with and engage children, as well as, in building future professionals in our field. Mobile movement: a headstart/sendcaa partner program with united way, which partially sponsors the program to promote fitness and education based learning through movement. 34 classes are held each week in all headstart/sendcaa sites for children 3-5 year olds. The fitness program staff collaborates with this organization to be the leading force to assimilate the need for increasing to 60 minutes of daily physical activity education and focusing on kindergarten readiness. Over 500 children participate in this weekly program. Soar (students of all abilities respected) after school, school days out camps, and no bummer summer: fitness supports exercise and movement. It is the best natural drug that a child can ever use for feeling good. Through teaching the importance of daily activity and encouragement, children are on the right path to becoming healthier and confident. Children receive no less than 90 minutes of physical activity in addition to a healthy snack and/or meals in these programs. Emphasis is on movement, education based activities, and community outings. These programs have increased its numbers by 25% to meet the demand. Birthday parties: having a birthday is the most special time in a child's life. Tnt birthday parties are memorable experiences. The 1. 5 hours include a fun-filled setting that aligns with our mission--keeping children active! Multiple activity stations make up the hour long party that encourages social interaction, games, family time, and building life-long friendships. Tnt hosts over 214 birthday parties a year and is another way to provide exposure of tnt's facility and other programming. Open gyms: open gyms at tnt are held 2 times each month with 3 consecutive preschool opportunities each week. This program provides program exposure for children which aligns with our mission to keeping all children of all abilities active. The open gym program is a large volunteer opportunity for multiple businesses to sponsor a themed open gym, provide a fund-raiser for local pta groups where a portion of the fee is given back to the school for each child that attends, and a service learning opportunity for area colleges to volunteer to fulfill their service hours. Area college sport teams, sorority, fraternity, and service clubs facilitate fitness stations during the open gym time. Open gyms are another way to collaborate with other agencies in the community by opening its doors for their participants to come to tnt as another alternative for fitness based programs. Gymnastics is composed of preschool, preschool mobile, school age, and is a member club of the usa gymnastics & cheer organizations serving usa junior olympic boys & girls and xcel gymnastics and cheer programs. Recreational, preschool, mobile gymnastics: gymnastics is great for every child at any age. In addition to the programs taught at tnt on-site, tnt serves childcare settings of gymnastics off-site each week. Through exercise and physical activity, children are able to meet their full potential while participating in these progressive programs. Encouraging children while being a positive influence drives our entire staff to help make a difference in children's lives. The preschool program introduces basic gymnastics through exploration and creative movement. The equipment is just their size! The classes use rhythm, rhyme, and repetition to teach basic body positions and skills. These classes are the feeder programs to all tnt supported programs. Over 525 preschool age children comprise the population in this program. Preschool mobile is vastly growing and provides the same instruction but offsite! The program serves over 200 children weekly. Gymnastics is the foundation of human movement, and the benefits are extraordinary. Recreational gymnastics is school age boys and girls that safely learn fundamental skills and progressions on traditional gymnastics equipment. Students advance through levels achieved with skill mastery. The program serves over 400 children weekly. Usa team athletes serve just over 147 athletes which strive for excellence in the sport of gymnastics while achieving life-long health, perseverance, and total well-being skills. Team is a year-round program. These athletes participate in annual serving learning projects to broaden and expand their knowledge of philanthropy by giving of their time to serving others within their community. One recognizable service project is the youth run for the fargo marathon. The cheer program is open to athletes of all skill levels and abilities. There are multiple programs from a feeder program to build levels in exhibition, competition, stunting, and tumbling. Athletes learn basic tumbling and stunting skills and continue to challenge our athletes to learn more difficult skills as the season progresses. All athletes are encouraged and coached to improve their individual skill level throughout the year. Gymnastics is the only sport that works the total body including strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and aerobic development that travels with you for a lifetime. Statistics show us a healthier lifestyle is more important now more than ever. Tnt uses a new approach to directly address our children's growing health crisis--childhood obesity. It is essential to promote positive learning attitudes, and there is no better age to form these than during their preschool and early school years. Classes are "hands on" learning mixed with movement, music, and fun! There is no better fundamental sport that helps build motor coordination than gymnastics.

special needs / occupational therapy:special needs program is a fitness program adapted for children and adults with special needs so all individuals of all abilities can be active. The adult program collaborates with over 15 agencies to allow its clients and providers an opportunity to be physically active on a weekly basis. The program also serves just over 26 schools utilizing the tnt facility on a weekly basis. The program's success is supported by each partner making an investment. Tnt donates their facility, school districts support by bussing their children, and united way partially funds a program professional. Children with multiple physical, cognitive, emotional, and social barriers now have physical activity outlets to serve their needs. Tnt also provides inclusive settings for children with special needs into their everyday programming. With all programs at tnt, children with special needs are integrated into programs where the curriculum is modified; care providers assist them or the children participate on their own. One-on-ones and small group type settings are available making tnt an organization "where all kids come first"! Tnt has a partnership with the university of jamestown (nd) physical therapy program. This valuable partnership has provided assessments, onsite experiential learning for the students, and methods for tnt to monitor and track outcomes. Occupational therapy this business model was implemented in 2015 to bridge a seamless transition for children from therapy to a recreational setting, whether it be to a one-on-one ratio, small setting, or inclusive opportunities in recreational classes with their peers. A child's occupation is to learn and experience their world so they can grow up to be successful and productive adults in society. Pediatric occupational therapists work to ensure that the issues the child may be experiencing do not interfere with their success in school, at home, or in the community. Tnt's occupational therapist provides client centered therapy to improve each child's physical development, sensory processing skills, social and emotional development, cognition, and motor skills. Tnt occupational therapist evaluates the child's skill for playing, school performance, daily activities, and compares their skill level with what is developmentally appropriate for the child's age. When concerns arise that are interrupting a child's life enough that they can no longer participate in the things that they want to, or they are having difficulties in specific areas, a child may benefit from occupational therapy. An occupational therapist works to provide the skills needed for living. A child's occupation is to learn and experience their world so they can grow up and be successful and productive adults in society. This model aligns with tnt's mission as we help children strive. Tnt is committed to giving all children, no matter their abilities, a chance to be active, make healthy nutritional choices, and more importantly, to teach them to feel good about themselves.

administration / fundraising / proshop (afp): tnt has several other programs & areas of operation that include administration, registration insurance fees, undesignated donations and grants, pro shop retail and fundraising events. Tnt has two major annual fundraising events: "in their shoes" a community live and silent auction event that promotes the message of all children of all abilities together in one space and giving hearts day, a 24-hour on-line fundraising event. This area of tnt's operation is growing and markets to generate other streams of income that do not conflict with other tnt programming, but enhance our vision and mission by reaching out to the community. Tnt kid's fitness initiated a capital campaign to purchase the building, land, and renovate an additional 20,000 square feet. A steering committee was formulated with community leaders and select tnt board members to stage the campaign in phases. Each milestone phase allowed tnt the ability to use pledges to support purchasing the building and renovate the additional space. This approach ultimately freed up operational dollars so that programming, growth, and impact would continue to support the mission. As tnt is a young organization with very little alumni base to draw from, the committee's approach was to unveil a community campaign. Our community has embraced the organization's mission and vision that all children of all abilities should have a place and the opportunity to participate in physical activity anytime, any day, like any other child. During the campaign, and true to tnt's mission, tnt reached out to collaborate with several organizations to fill its space. As a result of this mindset, the anne carlsen center and haley's hope organizations designed space in the expanded square footage with all three organizations having similar missions providing a one-stop type of resource for the people we serve in one location. The expansion is heavily focused on programs and services for children and adults with special needs thus impacting an under-served population that is desperately wanting more opportunities. Other program service achievements:other achievements include: 2015 chamber choice non-profit of the year, 2015 women of the year in the category of advocating for equality. 2016 top 3 fundraiser in giving hearts day event.