The 1 Million Minutes Challenge is in full swing, and Oaks students are making amazing strides toward our ambitious goal of 1 million minutes of tech-free play! At the halfway point, they’ve logged an incredible 939,987 minutes, showcasing their creativity, connection, and commitment to unplugging. From designing dream playgrounds to cooking up family treats, the Oaks community is proving that screen-free fun is both joyful and impactful.
Our students’ enthusiasm is sparking new traditions and inspiring others. After hearing about the challenge, some entrepreneurial students set up lemonade and hot cocoa stands to combine their tech-free time with raising funds for the challenge! Students are stepping into their kitchens to help parents with dinner and even make their own sweet surprises that look like dinner but are actually cake. One family even decided to dedicate their tech-free time to cleaning up their neighborhood, while others are finding joy in the simple acts of practicing penmanship and playing cards.
In classrooms, students are collaborating in exciting ways. Fifth grade teacher Joe Garner shared that his students are creating bar graphs to track their daily screen-free minutes. Inspired by this, another 5th grade class joined in, setting up their own tracking board to celebrate each day’s progress.
Beyond the classrooms, our students are excited to share the countless activities that they are doing to spend time without technology such as playing sports and hanging out with their pets. Other activities include building forts and lego creations, making bracelets and Christmas ornaments, and even helping clean around the house!
As part of the challenge, we asked students to design their dream playgrounds, combining creativity with a shared vision for future campus updates. Submissions included intricate treehouses, simple slides and soccer fields, and even (many) ziplines! These drawings capture our students’ dreams and might just inspire features in our upgraded playgrounds.
The excitement is even spreading beyond our school! Recent media coverage has highlighted the importance of this challenge, showcasing how tech-free play fosters healthier habits and stronger relationships. Mirror Indy wrote a beautiful article that showcases how The Oaks has always valued tech-free learning environments while WRTV visited a 1st grade class during discovery time to see the benefits of tech-free play in action. There is growing recognition of the importance of limiting technology in children’s lives and we are thrilled to support our families in having that conversation within their homes as well.
With just over 60,000 minutes to go, the finish line is already in sight and the physical trackers at our schools are almost filled in! Our students are so excited to see the collective and campus progress update each week, and we can’t wait to see them all rise above the goal like the middle school campus has already.
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Oaks students surpassed their 1 Million Minutes goal, achieving over 2 million minutes of tech-free play and raising over $80,000 to enhance playgrounds and build a new athletic facility. Thanks to our community’s generosity, every dollar raised was matched, doubling the impact for future generations.
The Oaks Academy has launched the 1 Million Minutes Challenge, inviting students to enjoy tech-free activities that foster creativity and connection while raising funds for campus improvements. With a goal of 1 million minutes of screen-free time, donations made in students’ honor will be matched to support playground and facility enhancements.
Jonathan recently returned to The Oaks as a soccer coach, reflecting on how the school’s dedication to growth, faith, and learning shaped him both in and out of the classroom. Hear about Jonathan’s favorite memories from field trips to the basketball court — and why he’s excited to give back to his alma mater!
Change is always challenging, especially when it may effect your children. Please share any questions or comments you have using the form below, or by emailing me directly at ahart@theoaksacademy.org.
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