2007 Coleman Everest 5.5 Challenge Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important dates to remember for the site?

• Wednesday, March 14, 2007 : Pre-registration begins for everyone. Students can register after their school has been registered by a teacher, but cannot log activity yet.
• Monday, April 9, 2007 : Site officially opens, so students can start to record physical activity minutes/steps.
• Thursday, April 19, 2007 : Registration officially closes for everyone. Teachers cannot register any kids on their own either. Teachers who registered on this day need to remember that kids will have to be active 20 days in a row.
• Friday, May 11, 2007 : Entire site closes. Hike is over.
• Wednesday, May 16 : Top schools are announced on Web site.

What grade level is the site designed for?

Upper elementary, middle, and high school aged students.

Can teachers, students and individuals living outside the USA register?

Unfortunately they cannot. Only teachers and students living in the 50 United States can register and participate in the 2007 Coleman Everest 5.5 Challenge.

How does this site work? Please describe the features of the site for students and teachers.

Click here to see a description of the site and its features.

How much does it cost to use the Coleman Everest 5.5 Challenge?

It is FREE to use for everyone.

How do we register for the site?

Registration directions for teachers, students, and individuals are located here.

What are the limitations to this site?

• It is only a 30-day hike (if you register by April 9), so the site will come down on May 11, 2007.
• Only students who record 60 physical activity minutes, or 10,000 steps (or a combination of the two), can earn a segment to move them toward reaching the summit of Mount Everest.
• 20 segments (out of a possible 30 total) must be completed to reach the top of Mount Everest.
• Students cannot enter unlimited number of miles or steps per day. The cap is set at 120 activity minutes/20,000 steps.
• The list of physical activities (PDF) a child can select from is limited to the list that is published on the Web site. No additions can be made to the list.
• Students can only enter minutes or steps up to 3 days prior. Teachers, however, can enter up to 30 days prior. If a student misses a day, or days, then the teacher can log in the segments that the student was unable to log because of illness, computer or Internet malfunction, etc. This is done under the “Manage Classes” section on the teacher administration page.

What physical activities can the students select to complete a segment?

Click here to the see the list of physical activities available for this Challenge (PDF). These cannot be changed, and we are unable to accept suggestions for additional activities to be added throughout the Challenge.

Who can register and how does registration work?

Teachers, students or individuals are encouraged to register to participate in this site. We designed the site primarily for teachers to register their school and classes. Teachers are asked to register one or more classes. Students are then able to register by finding their school from a drop down menu organized by state. Once they find their school they can locate their class name and then register. The student is asked to create a Username (UN) and Password (PW). Once they have registered they can use their UN and PW to access the site from school, home, a library, etc.

What does a teacher do if he/she finds out that one of his/her students registered under the incorrect school or class.

It is best to have the student   register again and make sure he or she chooses the correct school and class. We also encourage you to contact us at PE Central ( peceverest@pecentral.org ) to let us know so we can delete the student from the other school and class for which he/she originally registered.

During teacher registration what do I do if I see that my school is already registered?

It is best to stop registration and do your best to find out who in your school registered your school. Please do not register again as we cannot add up class progress for a combined hike for your school. It is best that you have the students in your classes register with the teacher who initially registered your school.

As a teacher I am worried about the privacy of having my students sign up for the site. What assurances do I have that this will be safe and secure for my students?

Our number one concern is student privacy. For this reason, we have designed the site so we collect the minimum amount of personal information from kids, i.e. their first name, first initial of their last name, and date of birth. Complete details are described in our privacy policy. In order to register your school, you will need to acknowledge that you have read our privacy policy.

How long does the hike last?

30 days. Students need to be active at least 60 minutes per day or 10,000 steps (or a combination of the two) each day for 20 out of the 30 days to reach the summit. The site will be taken down on May 11, 2007.

What do the students have to do to reach the Summit of Mount Everest?

They must complete 20 segments in 30 days. To complete a segment, students need to be active at least 60 minutes or 10,000 steps (or a combination of the two) per day for 20 of the 30 days to reach the summit. A segment on this site is equal to 60 minutes of physical activity or 10,000 steps. Students have the option of selecting one or more physical activities from a list of more than 100 choices.

How are the most physically active schools determined?

Schools must have at least 50 students registered to be eligible for this honor. This is determined by the total number of students who enter at the school divided by the number who reach the top of the mountain (i.e. they complete all 20 segments). For example, if a school has 30 students registered and all 30 complete 20 segments in the 30-day period by recording 60 minutes or 10,000 steps for the 20 segments they would have a 100% rating. If a school has 750 students register and 452 complete the hike, then they would have a 60% success rate and would be ranked accordingly. Remember, for a school to be considered for this, they must have at least 50 students registered for the program.

How can teachers retrieve their password if they forgot it?

Teachers can click on the “Forgot Password Link” on the front page of the site, fill in their e-mail address and we will e-mail them their password. We do not offer a password retrieval system for students because we do not collect their e-mail addresses for privacy reasons. If a student forgets their UN or PW, he or she needs to ask their teacher.

Why is it only a 30-day hike?

We wanted this site to approximately match the amount of time it will take Mike Haugen to complete the actual hike to the summit of Mount Everest. Kids can continue to monitor Mike's progress at the “Track Mike” section of the Coleman Everest site , if this virtual hike for the kids ends before Mike summits.

How many minutes/steps can students enter per day?

Up to 120 minutes of physical activity minutes and/or 20,000 steps. They can enter throughout the day but cannot exceed either of those numbers.

Can students record time/steps for more than one physical activity in a segment?

Yes, a student could record 30 minutes of one activity and 30 minutes of another or a student could record 10 minutes for 6 physical activities.

Can students record both steps and minutes?

Yes, for example, a student can record 30 minutes of physical activity and 5,000 steps and that would earn them a segment on the hike.

How many days prior can students enter their physical activity minutes/steps?

Up to three (3) days prior for students. Teachers can enter their students’ minutes and/or steps during the entire 30-day challenge.

Do students have to use a pedometer?

It is not required. Students can record their physical activity in minutes and/or steps. They are asked during registration if they want to use a pedometer to record their activity steps. If they choose Yes, they can enter both steps and minutes. If they choose No, then they can only record activity minutes.

Can students enter their physical activity miles and/or steps from a computer at home?

Yes, we encourage that.

Does activity completed in physical education class count as part of the segment for the day?

Definitely. If a child is active in physical education for 20 minutes then they will only need 40 minutes additional activity on their own to complete the segment for the day.

Why are the segments 60 minutes or 10,000 steps long?

We have selected 60 minutes (10,000 steps) because this is the minimum amount of time experts at the Centers for Disease Control and National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommend that children be physically active on all or most days of the week to derive the health benefits of physical activity.

Are teachers able to register students’ names into the system?

Teachers are able to do so, but it is a time-consuming process. For this reason we recommend that the teachers register their schools and classes and then teach their students how to complete their own registration. Nevertheless, it is an option teachers have if they so choose. Teacher registration for students may be especially helpful if a new student enters the school once the Challenge has started.

How can I get help with the site if I am having problems with the site?

Please contact PE Central at peceverest@pecentral.org.