When the 2020 Recreation Movement launched on April 1, the goal was to bring 45 NIRSA schools together to offer a swift collective online platform for participating schools’ students, staff, and alumni to build a sense of community—and to provide them with movement options—as campuses moved to virtual programming. Initially, the projected end date for the program was May 3. As the continuation of social distancing was pushed further out, the 2020 Recreation Movement made the decision to extend its timeline through the summer.
Originally, the program launched with 45 institutions; however, as the need to offer online self-care programs as well as the necessity of creating spaces for students to feel connected rapidly spread across the country, there are now over 110 schools participating. In a recent poll survey to participating schools, Rachael Decker from The University of Toledo shared that the movement “is also providing hope to our participants as they are part of something bigger during this time.” With over 13,000 individuals participating, that sense of togetherness is only growing.
Additional enhancements to the overall program include weekly ‘Meet the Instructor Monday’ sessions showcasing a #recmovement instructor. One of the many strengths of the program is the exposure that campus fitness instructors are receiving from the shared platform. Some schools are even going as far as co-hosting fitness classes from different campuses. Additionally, many schools are reporting that the ability to participate and see what other campuses are producing is fostering a learning environment. Betsy Blagys from Fairfield University shares that “seeing what other schools offer gives us an idea of to how we can improve our current offerings.”
- For more information on the 2020 Recreation Movement, please contact NIRSA Campus Activations Director Emily Hughes.
Emily Hughes is currently the Campus Activations Director at NIRSA.
