By MEGAN SMITH

Staff Writer

When health and physical education was combined with the IDEA Place, the Space Olympics were born.

The Space Olympics, held May 3 through 7, allowed teacher candidates to interact and provided fun and educational content to children pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

About 2,500 kids from Louisiana and southern Arkansas schools came during the week.

Connie LaBorde, the associate dean of the College of Education and director of field and clinical experiences, said students in Elementary Physical Education Methods 251 and 340 classes prepared lesson plans with a physical activity to go along with each plan.

LaBorde said she was very pleased with her students.

"They embraced the idea and have been here working with the students and have shown great responsibility," LaBorde said. "I am very proud of them."

The students set up stations behind A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, located on Hergot Avenue, and led the pre-kindergarteners through eighth-graders in games.

Students took traditional games, like volleyball and hot potato, and gave them a spin with space names such as space golf, moon rock toss and space volleyball.

Antarian Griffi, a sophomore health and physical education major, said the week was great.

"It feels really great that our class worked together on these games, and the kids really enjoyed them," Griffi said. "The kids had fun, and that was great because if they are not having fun, I am not having fun."

Teacher candidates from the IDEA Place also took the kids on a tour through the IDEA Place and the Planetarium.

Shannon Gault, a sophomore elementary education major, toured the kids through the IDEA Place and said overall they had great attitudes and wanted to learn.

"Their attitudes are what make it fun," Gault said.

Gault said she learned a lot from the week.

"We were able to bring the kids through the exhibits and have direct teaching and direct contact with the kids," Gault said.

"Besides actually being in a classroom and teaching, I do not think you could ask for a better way to prepare students for a teaching job."

Glenn Beer, director of SciTEC, said this was a great way for teacher candidates to work with a wide variety of students and was an opportunity for observation.

Beer said it gives the kids a great experience.

"They get the opportunity to see Tech and participate in activities that tie math, science and physical activities together."