Total managed resources within the School are greater than $10 million, with approximately $6.8 million coming from extramural funding (representing about 2/3 of all current grants and contracts within the College of Education).
The nationally award winning $18.57 million Wellness/Recreation Center houses the School. Resources include 5 aerobic/dance studios, 6 racquetball courts, 2 multipurpose courts, 1/10 th mile jogging track, fitness/conditioning area, leisure pool, instructional pool with seating for 300, 40-ft climbing wall, and 8 seminar rooms and classrooms.
The Wellness/Recreation Center includes the following laboratories: athletic training laboratory, biomechanics laboratory, biostatistics laboratory, computer instructional laboratory, student computer center, early childhood motor development laboratory, exercise physiology laboratory, psychomotor behavior laboratory, rhythm and movement studio, teaching laboratory, and wellness resources laboratory.
In 2005, The Elinor A. Crawford and William H. Thrall Hall of Excellence was established in the Wellness/Recreation Center to recognize former graduates of the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services that have achieved notable distinction in their professional careers. The inaugural induction ceremony held in fall 2005 welcomed 28 former graduates as charter members of the Hall of Excellence.
A $7 million Human Performance Center (HPC) is being constructed with an anticipated opening date in spring 2008. The 2-story, 35,000 sq. foot facility promotes a unique community with Allen Memorial Hospital, Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, PC, and Covenant Medical System and will house the Athletic Training Program as well as Camp Adventure, Global Health Corps, Youth and Human Services academic programs, and the National Program for Playground Safety. The facility will include space dedicated to sports medicine and will provide opportunities for students to have an uninterrupted view of prevention, triage, diagnosis, therapy and other preventative efforts, as well as ongoing interaction with physicians, therapists and athletic trainers as a part of their education. Funding was achieved through donations, foundation funding and grants.
An agreement between the City of Cedar Falls and the University of Northern Iowa will result in the development of a Wetlands Demonstration Park as well as the development of open space recreation fields including several ball diamonds and a soccer field. Further, the agreement calls for working with the city of Cedar Falls to work cooperatively to maximize the use of University and community resources to the mutual benefit of each agency. The Wetlands Demonstration Park will provide an opportunity to integrate the academic programs of the School of Health , Physical Education and Leisure Services and the Departments of Biology and Earth Science. The park will feature a four-acre pond and trail system.
The Physical Education Center (PEC) will be renovated during the construction of the HPC in order to provide a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning training center, testing laboratory, and new locker room facilities for both men and women.
  
V Program and Community Activities
Outreach or public service programs provided by the School include: Camp Adventure Youth Services, Global Health Corps, Project Export, National Program for Playground Safety, Youth Fitness & Obesity Institute, Sustainable Tourism and Environmental Programs, Program for Recreation Research & Service, and the Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center .
International agreements or collaborations have been established with the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, PRC; Zhejiang University, PRC; Macau Polytechnic Institute, PRC; Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal; University of Cape Coast, Ghana; University of West Hungary, Hungary; Seoul National University, Korea.
Performance groups include the International Dance Theatre (IDT), Orchesis Dance Company, and The Young Peoples Dance Theater (YPDT).
The School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services is actively involved in a number of unique community partnerships including ones with the XL Sports Acceleration Program, Community Olympic Development Program, Camp Adventure Youth Services, Global Health Corps, Kindergym and Opportunity Works. These demonstration projects and community laboratories provide a way of extending learning opportunities for students, and research and scholarly activities for faculty. The Robert D. Koob Fund for Student Community Engagement program is managed by the School of Health , Physical Education and Leisure Services.
Partnership activities with the city of Cedar Falls and the University of Northern Iowa including the School of HPELS, Wellness & Recreation Services, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Office of Facilities Planning have resulted in the formulation in a number of strategies aimed at further developing the West Campus Plan. In particular, a joint use agreement for improving educational, athletic, and recreational and leisure areas was negotiated, expansion of the city's transportation system, and development of a Wetlands Demonstration Park .
  
VI Accreditation Activities
The Athletic Training program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Annually, over seventy (70) percent of the graduates pass the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification Examination compared to a 30 percent national average among all students taking the examination.
The Leisure, Youth and Human Services Division is one of only 100 colleges and universities accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association/American Association for Leisure and Recreations' Council on Accreditation.
  
VII Highlights
The School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services has been identified in recent publications as having transnational influence. Regarding the School of HPELS stature worldwide, Dr. Frances Lobo, Edith Cowan University , ( Australia ) wrote in the IAHPERD Journal (summer 2006) the following. . . the overall effect makes the School of HPELS at the University of Northern Iowa a focal institution of trans-national global influence and significance. Many institutions desire but few achieve this image.
Camp Adventure Youth Services is a nationally award winning model demonstration program incorporating the principles of service learning into the educational experiences of individuals. Promoting high-quality, high-impact program and services for children and youth,
Camp Adventure Youth Services encourages global awareness and cultural sensitivity as well as diversity and inclusion. Over 11,000 students have participated in this program over the past 20 years and has generated $50 million in grants and contracts in the last 15 years. Recently, Camp Adventure Youth Services received a $7.8 million contract to provide services for U.S. Army Europe to support the deployment and reintegration of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq .
The Youth Fitness & Obesity Institute was established in 2001 with funding ($233K) from the Department of Health and Human Services to address the physical activity and nutrition needs of children and adolescents particularly in rural settings. The establishment of the Youth Fitness & Obesity Institute provides the foundation for research and development activities designed to address the growing concerns related to youth fitness levels and childhood obesity.
More UNI physical education alumni have won Teacher of the Year awards than those of any other college.
With the support of Polar Electro Inc., the University of Northern Iowa 's School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services offers a unique school and community-based learning opportunity for students enrolled in the M.A. degree in physical education with an emphasis on the utilization of technology. USA Today (December 16, 2004 edition) featured the Grundy Center Elementary School program and its unique partnership with the University of Northern Iowa 's School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services and Polar, showcasing this innovative effort to integrate technology in the teaching of physical education.
The World Leisure Secretariat is located at the University of Northern Iowa . World Leisure is a non profit, non governmental association of persons and organizations from throughout the world. World Leisure holds consultative status with The United Nations.
The National Program for Playground Safety is a nationally award winning program whose purpose is to raise awareness of playground safety and injury prevention to children on playgrounds. The program was established in 1995 with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program has four primary goals: 1) create a national plan for the prevention of playground injuries; 2) develop a national clearinghouse of materials including training videos, CD ROMs, and pamphlets on playground safety; 3) establish an information hotline about playground safety and injury prevention available to the American public; and 4) serve as a resource for technical assistance concerning training programs for individuals.
Global Health Corps provides theory to practice learning opportunities for health promotion and education students to design, implement, and evaluate health promotion and education programs with underserved diverse populations in the United States and abroad. This program has provided opportunities for 450 students and served over 45,000 clients.
Project EXPORT (Excellence in Partnerships for Outreach, Research and Training) Center for Excellence was established by the National Institutes of Health on the University of Northern Iowa campus to provide statewide academic leadership to organizations challenged with addressing health disparity issues. It has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health for scholarly pursuits of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in health disparities.
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