The dairy checkoff is positioning the farmer-founded Fuel Up to Play 60 program in a fresh way to help students and educators navigate the school year, said Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the dairy checkoff. Many teachers are looking for ways to engage students through curriculum and digital learning with an emphasis on wellness for minds and bodies. To meet these needs inside and outside the classroom, Fuel Up to Play 60 — created by the dairy checkoff and National Football League (NFL) — developed an easy-to-navigate website (www.FuelUpToPlay60.com), educator dashboard and an enhanced student app.

“One of the checkoff’s key priorities is ensuring dairy products and farmers’ story are relevant with today’s younger consumers,” said Beth Engelmann, chief operations officer of DMI. “Schools remain a critical investment for driving trust and sales, but we must always be evolving our approach to drive measurable impact in the cafeteria and the classroom.”

The website launched Sept. 13 to coincide with the “Start Fresh with Fuel Up to Play 60” initiative. The site allows educators and parents to learn about the program and access resources focused on dairy nutrition and dairy farmers’ care for the environment.

“This is the perfect time to hit the reset button and bring a new vibe that builds off the program’s 10-year legacy and evolves it to meet the needs of educators, parents and students in the world we live in today,” said Anne Warden, executive vice president of strategic integration for DMI. “We’re ready to start fresh together and highlight how Fuel Up to Play 60 is more than just an in-school program, while we showcase how dairy can fuel families and help them perform their best during their day, from breakfast to bedtime.”

DMI said some new and enhanced website elements include:

• The Fuel Up to Play 60 Learning Plan, which aligns with national standards in science, social emotional learning and health education and introduces dairy as fuel for body and mind, as well as covers dairy’s sustainability practices.
• Program guides that help parents and educators easily and efficiently find the answers they need about the program. This includes access to greater Fuel Up to Play 60 learning resources such as the Homeroom.
• A refreshed Educator Dashboard with opportunities for state and regional checkoff teams to create personalized content for their local schools.
• An upgraded Student Zone App that allows students to create accounts, complete activities, collect badges and be named Fuel Up to Play 60 Champions.

Fuel Up to Play 60 also will work with NFL players, dietitians, food-focused parents and inspirational educators to share ideas on how they fuel their days on social media channels, including TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, DMI said.

Keeping kids moving and making smart food choices is the focus of a new checkoff partnership with GoNoodle, a popular and trusted “edutainment” platform for teachers and parents. The program promotes health and wellness through physical activity, mindfulness and healthy eating, DMI said. The checkoff and GoNoodle launched the first two-player game called “Coach Terry’s Touchdown! powered by Fuel Up to Play 60.”

The free game has students racing down a virtual football field to reach the end zone while avoiding objects such as flying foam fingers trying to tackle them, DMI said. Students collect “power ups,” including milk, yogurt and smoothies, to keep their energy up, and they earn bonus points as they try to score touchdowns in 60 seconds.

Since its launch in May through July, Coach Terry’s Touchdown! has ranked first among all GoNoodle games determined by starts, finishes and total movement minutes. Its total minutes of movement is 133% higher than the company’s overall average, DMI said.