Ask Listen Learn keeps kids moving.

A recent Washington Post article by MisFits Columnist Vicky Hallett addressed “exergames.” At The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, we are constantly trying to find innovative ways to provide our nation’s teachers with the best resources so they can engage with their students and encourage them to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.

In 2009, we partnered with PE4Life, a national non-profit organization that promotes healthy lifestyles among youth, to develop an interactive game to engage kids in physical activity while learning about the negative effects of alcohol on their bodies. The game was a first of its kind, and it gets kids up and moving while learning important information in a fun and interactive way.

In 2010, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility contracted with TRU to conduct an independent evaluation of the Ask, Listen, Learn (ALL) educational video game program to determine whether the Ask, Listen, Learn video games are effective in delivering their no-underage-drinking message as a part of a healthy lifestyle to their target, 5^th-7^th grade school children. The results showed a majority of middle school students rated the game positively as an educational activity used in schools. Other key findings included:

• After playing the games, 95% of kids surveyed said it’s important to wait to drink alcohol until they are old enough.
• Nearly two-thirds of the surveyed students said the game makes them think about talking to their parents to learn more about the dangers of drinking alcohol.
• The ALL game significantly increased students’ awareness of the multiple short-term effects of alcohol

Since then, through our partnership with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), we have been able to distribute the Ask, Listen, Learn Interactive Game to a vast network of Physical Educators all over the 50 States. Furthermore, we have supported NASPE’s Let’s Move in School initiative which aims to address the issue of childhood obesity by highlighting the importance of quality physical education and promoting physical activity throughout schools in the Nation.  As the article mentioned, last October we had the opportunity to participate in the initiative and showcased our interactive game at Turner Elementary School, where World Champion Sprinter Tyson Gay challenged students to test their skills against his in the running competitions on the game.

We strongly believe that physical education at schools is necessary for kids to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and the Ask, Listen, Learn Interactive Game is another resource in the PE teacher’s toolbox to help them promote healthy lifestyle among our Nation’s youth. 

For more information on the Ask Listen Learn game”, please contact Fadi Seikaly at 202-637-0077 or [email protected].