Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2026

Physical Activity Meets Student Wellness in a K-12 setting. This session explores how collaboration between a school counselor and a physical education teacher can strengthen student wellness in a K–12 setting. This session highlights how physical activity can be intentionally used to support students’ social-emotional learning, stress management, and academic readiness. Participants will see how counselors and PE teachers can work together to design movement-based activities that help students build self-regulation, focus, and confidence through the perspective of a high school counselor and elementary physical education teacher. . 

Educators gain strategies and build confidence to integrate and adapt yoga flows into an educational setting. This is more than just stretching! You will be able to empower student to reconnect with the mind and body as they build self awareness and self regulation skills.

Lucy Harris is a 13‑year‑old adaptive athlete and passionate advocate for disability inclusion. After a motor vehicle accident at age ten left her paralyzed, Lucy set out to prove that her athletic goals didn’t disappear—they simply changed direction. With determination and a competitive spirit, she has embraced adaptive sports and used her voice to educate others about accessibility, resilience, and the power of perseverance.
Since her injury, Lucy has explored a wide range of adaptive activities, including sled hockey, rock climbing, white‑water rafting, hiking, and even completing a 5K. Her current favorite sports include wheelchair basketball, skiing, cycling, racing, paddleboarding, swimming, and staying active through CrossFit.
Lucy frequently speaks to schools and community groups about adaptive athletics and disability rights, encouraging others to rethink what athletes look like. She believes every student deserves the opportunity to be seen as a competitor—not a spectator—and she works every day to help make that vision a reality.

What if the key to stronger physical education programs and more engaged students wasn’t more specialization, but more play?
This interactive session introduces sport sampling as a practical, scalable approach to teaching social emotional learning through movement. Led by practitioners working in both school-day and out-of-school-time settings, participants will explore how a multi-sport model can increase engagement, build confidence, and help students develop real-time self-regulation, connection, and decision-making skills.
The session will focus on bridging traditional PE classes with recess and out-of-school-time opportunities, creating a more connected and consistent experience for students throughout their day. Presenters will highlight how skills learned in one sport transfer to others, using non-traditional and accessible activities to reinforce this concept.
Participants will take part in a live demonstration of a 2-4-1 Fencing lesson, developed in partnership with USA Fencing. This model introduces the sport authentically at a fraction of the traditional cost, showing how schools can expand offerings without adding financial barriers.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to:

• Integrate social emotional learning into physical activity
• Expand programming beyond the school day
• Increase student engagement through sport variety and choice
• Reinforce transferable skills across multiple activities

Bring heart health to life in your PE and health classrooms with engaging, ready-to-use resources from the American Heart Association. This interactive session will introduce educators to a variety of tools, including the Hands-Only CPR in Schools web-based lesson, designed to seamlessly integrate lifesaving skills and wellness education into your curriculum.
 
Hear how fellow PE teachers have successfully implemented these resources to increase student engagement, build confidence, and create meaningful, real-world learning experiences. You’ll leave with practical ideas, accessible materials, and fresh inspiration to empower your students with skills that truly make a difference.