Aim to Play — a teacher app to get 3rd–5th graders moving
Official title: Development, Feasibility, and Acceptability of Aim to Play, a User-Friendly Digital Application for Teacher Skills Training and Physical EducationActivities for 3-5 Grade Elementary Students
Funded at Saavsus, INC. · NIH-11186971 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project creates an easy-to-use app that helps teachers lead short, standards-based physical activities for 3rd–5th graders, especially in low-income and rural schools.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Saavsus, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Eugene, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | September 29, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $930,625 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DP006743-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11186971 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are 3rd–5th grade students and their teachers—especially in low-income, minority, or rural schools that lack ready PE resources.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside grades 3–5, schools that already provide extensive, high-quality daily PE, or students who require individualized physical therapy may not benefit from this general teacher-led app.
What this research studies
From a parent or student view, Aim to Play (Pocket PE 3-5) is a low-cost app teachers can use on common devices to run short, standards-based activity lessons. The app customizes activities by grade, time available, setting (classroom, gym, outdoors), student skill level, and available equipment, and works online or offline. The team will refine the app through pilot work in elementary schools to check feasibility and acceptability with teachers and students. The goal is simple, easy-to-use lesson plans that fit into regular school days and meet state PE expectations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could help teachers provide regular, effective physical activity that improves children's fitness, mental health, and classroom readiness.
How similar studies have gone: Short, school-based PE programs have increased activity in past research and this app builds on a Phase I pilot, but widespread digital teacher-training tools for PE are still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Saavsus, INC.
Eugene, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ricci, Jeanette — Saavsus, INC.
- Study coordinator: Ricci, Jeanette
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.