Faculty and Staff Members Receive PSAHPERD Awards

For Madeline and Chuck Constantine, two outdoor enthusiasts, Stony Acres has always been the perfect fit. They’ve spent over 25 years at the 119-acre, student-owned wildlife sanctuary located in Marshalls Creek, Pa. Stony Acres offers recreational activities to ESU students, faculty, staff and the community, including a challenge course, rock climbing tower, Frisbee, golf, hiking, horseshoes, camping, snowshoeing, x-country skiing, volleyball courts, and a pond for fishing, canoeing and ice skating.

Recently, both Madeline and Chuck were awarded the 2015 Recreation Professional of the Year Award by the Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (PSAHPERD).

“We are honored to be recognized by the PSAPHERD and our colleagues for the work we love,” Madeline said. “Stony Acres provides opportunities for us to work with other people and help them discover and get involved in outdoor pursuits.”

They both agreed the challenge course offers them a ‘unique’ experience. Together they have trained hundreds of challenge course facilitators at Stony Acres and have a wide range of experience facilitating groups ranging in age from children to adults including corporate, university and K-12 school groups, teacher in-service programs, staff development programs, sport teams, boy scout and girl scout troops, church groups, and college classes in leadership, psychology, recreation, business management, public speaking, and teacher education. They have both also been a part of the unique programming at Stony Acres, which includes the polar bear plunge, stony acres survivor, zombie run, mud runs, buddy fitness challenge and the family challenge.

Kimberley Razzano, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of health studies, was also recognized by PSAHPERD. She was awarded the Ethel G. Encke Service Award, which is given to a woman member of PSAHPERD who has shown exceptional service in the community. Dr. Razzano previously was named PSAHPERD’s 1998 K-12 Health Education Teacher of the Year and 2007 Teacher of the Year in Health at the university level. She was also recognized as the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Eastern District’s Outstanding Professional for 1999, in 2009 received PSAHPERD’s Professional Honor Award, and in 2010 she received Outstanding Professor in Health from Eastern District of the Society for Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America.

She established the Capital to Capitol ONE Ride, a 153-mile cycle trip from Harrisburg, Pa. to our nation’s Capital. The goal of this project was to raise awareness and funding toward the prevention of childhood obesity and increased physical activity among the K-12 population. The project was so successful that it was again implemented in 2013. Between both rides, over 100 people were involved as riders, support staff, and volunteers and over $10,000 was raised. Those funds are now being used for schools and community agencies to apply for grants to implement physical activity and healthy eating programs toward obesity prevention.

PSAHPERD is a non-profit education association that works to promote quality programs and provide professional development in the disciplines it represents.

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