Lambert Receives Community Awareness Award

Mrs. Robrietta Lambert, a Physical Education teacher at Franklin Elementary School, was recognized with a Community Awareness Award on April 22, 2005 at Canaan Valley Resort.

This award was presented by the PEIA Pathways-to-Wellness program at their annual Worksite Coordinator Training.

This award was presented to three people in the state this year for making a difference in West Virginia.

Robrietta was recognized for her efforts in introducing the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) video game in Pendleton County. DDR is a form of "exer-gaming" that combines physical exercise and video gaming. This technology has become very popular nationwide and might even help reduce the nation's obesity epidemic.

She agree to go to WVU and be trained on how to use this dance game and took it back to the school and introduced it through PE classes. This new game has since been used during the monthly reward programs and has grown into an after-school program for interested students. With the high prevalence of obesity in this country, the DDR technology is gaining great recognition for helping in the efforts to control it through exercise.

The DDR was recently spotlighted on ABC's Good Morning America and the work that WVU's "Games for Health" is doing with it.