Every year on the first Saturday in May, members and friends of The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) celebrate Pilates Day. Last year, as some of you might remember, there was a big Pilates Camp event in Florida and an international Pilates awareness campaign that included studios around the world offering events and classes for free or at a discounted rate. This year, the focus of Pilates Day is the PMA's Pilates in the Schools program.

The PMA created the Pilates in the Schools Program to help children "experience the mental, physical, intellectual and emotional benefits inherent to Pilates". Currently, it is a pilot program that includes PMA certified instructors teaching in schools as well as a Pilates Tools for Teachers Program. The program targets students at 5th grade level with selected Pilates exercises that have been shown to be safe and for that age group.

St. Philip's Academy in Newark New Jersey is the focal point of this years Pilates Day celebration. St. Philip's is a private, philanthropically funded school that serves at risk children, preparing them for attendance at prestigious preparatory schools. As part of the Pilates in the Schools program, Marggi Vangeli, a member of the PMA board of directors, has been teaching Pilates to the fifth grade class at St. Philip's Academy since February. For Pilates Day, the whole class will demonstrate their mat work exercises for specially invited guests including Pilates elder, Kathy Grant.

Related Links:

• About the Pilates in the Schools Initiative
• The Pilates Day 2008 Homepage
• The Pilates Method Alliance Website