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Movement Academy

Movement Academy is a physical education program for children and adolescents in the surrounding area. Our mission is to offer a unique variety of physical experiences and opportunities while providing an invaluable teaching experience for UWF physical education students.


Movement Academy provides opportunities to cultivate interpersonal skills, increase physical activity and develop positive health habits. Created as a community service for homeschool students, Movement Academy also provides UWF students with first-hand experience teaching Physical Education.

The UWF Movement Academy is based in the HLES Facility, building 72, on the University of West Florida Pensacola campus. The Academy is staffed by UWF students who are seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical education as well as UWF faculty and staff. 

The program is scheduled by semester. 

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Spring 2025 Schedule
Dates

February 4, 2025 - April 17, 2025
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 9 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Tuition: 
Primary Child 2 days a week - $99
Sibling 2 days a week - $69
Primary Child 1 day a week - $65
Sibling 1 day a week - $50
If you select the one-day option during registration, you do have to specify which day you will attend.

Ways to Register

  1. REGISTER ONLINE via the secure online registration system. 
    Review the Adding a Child to Your Account and Registering PDF for instructions on how to add your child to your XenDirect registration account and register. 
  2. Questions? Contact the UWF Continuing Education Student Support Center.

**Participants must be between 6-17 years old.

  • Value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self- expression, and/or social interaction.
  • Appreciate movement and skills that promote physical literacy.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use communication skills to enhance health and reduce health risks.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance physical education and health.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance physical abilities and health.
  • Demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
  • Demonstrate competency in skills and movements needed to perform a variety of activities.
  • Demonstrate understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
  • Participate regularly in physical activity.
  • Achieve and maintain a health enhancing level of physical fitness.
  • Exhibit responsible personal/social behavior that respects self and others in PA settings.
  • Participate in enjoyable experiences, while moving to become physically literate and physically active for life!

Movement Academy FAQs

  • Movement Academy is a physical education program for children and adolescents in Pensacola and the surrounding area. Typically, participants consist of students who are home-schooled. Our mission is to offer a unique variety of physical experiences and opportunities while providing an invaluable teaching experience for UWF physical education students.
  • Movement Academy provides opportunities to cultivate interpersonal skills, increase physical activity and develop positive health habits. Created as a community service for homeschool students, Movement Academy also provides UWF students with first-hand experience teaching Physical Education.
  • Participants will do activities and games typical for physical education classes, including 4-square, relay races, cornhole, basketball, etc.

  • Participants must be between 6 and 17 years old at the time of the first class session. There are no exceptions. 
  • Participants will initially be placed according to age and may be moved to fit their movement comfort level. Groupings are dependent upon registrations, but the general groupings are listed below. The priority is always to group students in the best learning environment possible. All participants may be moved by administration to a group that is most developmentally appropriate for their skills and abilities.
    1. Primary: 6-7 years old
    2. Intermediate: 8-9 years old
    3. Middle: 10-12 years old
    4. High: 13+ years old

  • The program is scheduled by semester and occurs both in the fall and spring. It is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly. When you register, you have the option to register for both days, just Tuesdays, or just Thursdays. If you select the one-day option during registration, you do have to specify which day you will attend.
  • Regardless of the day/s chosen, each session is from 9:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. 
    1. Drop off: 8:50 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
    2. Pick up: 10:40 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

The UWF Movement Academy is based on the lower level of the HLS Facility, building 72, on the University of West Florida Pensacola campus.

  • Parents are required to sign the UWF General Counsel’s Office Liability Waiver each semester at the point of registration. 
  • For each session, please have your child bring/wear the following:
    1. Water in a refillable bottle (there are water filling stations available)
    2. Closed-toe, athletic shoes
    3. Activewear that allows for flexibility and active movement indoors and outdoors 
    4. If applicable, Medications (Inhaler, EpiPen, insulin, brace, etc.).  Please let the instructors know at drop off if this applies to your participant/s. 
  • We ask you to help increase our class time by having your children use the bathroom before they arrive for each session. Only a single stall bathroom is available during Movement Academy sessions.

  • Information regarding parking will be included in the confirmation email at the point of registration. You will have to fill out a form and a digital permit will be applied to your car.
  • When you arrive on the UWF campus, please park in Lot B, E, or J for this event, which is being held in Building 72, the HLS Facility. As a reminder, do not park in spots marked reserved or faculty/staff.
  • Should you require a digital map of campus, please visit the UWF Campus Map.

After getting your child checked in and inside the gym, you may go upstairs to the lobby area of the HLS building, or you may choose to leave the building/campus until pickup. Per HLS rules, parents are not allowed to stay downstairs during the sessions. The recreation facilities are not available for use unless you are a paid community recreation member, UWF student, staff, faculty, or alumni.

UWF Movement Academy is staffed by UWF students who are seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical education. It is overseen by the director, Dr. Christopher Wirth, and administrative support is provided by staff in the Division of Continuing Education.