As summer winds down and a new school year approaches, we will feature this month how school districts use Wellbeats for their teachers and staff and even incorporate Wellbeats classes into in-person and distance learning for students.

Client Summary: Minneapolis Public Schools

• Largest Minnesota public school system
• 6,200 teachers and staff
• 100 public/special education, alternative, and charter schools

The Minneapolis Public Schools, with about 6,200 teachers and staff, rolled out Wellbeats to the entire district in July 2020. Even though school was not in session, class plays jumped over 1,500 in July and over 2,000 in August.

“Wellbeats has been really successful with our employees,” said Lindsay, the district’s Employee Wellness Coordinator. “Employees are juggling kids at home, family members at home, and work from home. They needed a fitness solution they could implement in their daily lives during those quick breaks between lunchtimes, work times, and nap times.”

“We continue to see the most class plays between 5 and 25 minutes. It’s great because it makes fitness accessible to everyone, regardless of their fitness level.”

In addition to physical wellbeing, emotional and community wellbeing are district wellness program pillars, and Wellbeats offers mindfulness classes to help address these needs.

“The most highly played class in August (2020) was ‘Anxious of Future,’” Lindsay said. “It’s so important that we offer programs that blend with mental, emotional, and community wellbeing.”

A surprise added benefit was teachers incorporating Wellbeats virtual classes into the school day for their students.

“We have teachers from kindergarten through high school that have used Wellbeats with their virtual classes for a ‘brain break’ or meditation.”