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NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is the National President’s
Challenge?

The National President's Challenge is a six week
physical activity challenge designed to get
America up and moving. The Challenge is about
choosing to live healthier and finding activities
you really like. Everyone can join the Challenge
and it’s easy to do.

The official launch of the National President’s
Challenge is March 20, 2008, and the program
ends May 15 during National Physical Fitness
and Sports Month.

How can I register for the National President’s Challenge?

Participants can register for free at www.presidentschallenge.org. After registering,
participants are given an activity log and can log in every day to track their activity.

If I have an existing log, do I need to re-register?

No. Enrollment is automatic. You can use your existing log even if you haven’t used it
lately. Just be sure to start logging your activity by April 3, 2008, in order to complete the
program requirements by May 15, 2008.

I have a log but forgot my password. What do I do?

Visit www.presidentschallenge.org and click on the “Log-in” link in the upper right hand
corner. Just below the box where you enter your password is a link, “I forgot my
password.” Click on this link and follow the instructions.

Do I register for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) or the
Presidential Champions program?

It doesn’t matter. The PALA is for those who are just getting started and the Presidential
Champions program is for those who are already active and want more of a challenge.

The PALA is the basis for the National President’s Challenge, but even if you register as a
Presidential Champion, the Web site will recognize when you complete the minimum 6
week activity requirement of the National President’s Challenge. You will be able to
continue to work towards any of the Champions medals once the National President’s
Challenge ends on May 15, 2008, and all the activity you entered during the National
President’s Challenge will count towards your award.

What types of activity count towards the National President’s Challenge?

The National President’s Challenge lets you chose from almost 100 different activities, so
participants are sure to find at least one they enjoy. Visit www.presidentschallenge.org to
find a list of activities to do during the Challenge.

How can my community participate in the Challenge?

Schools, states, employers, and organizations can hold events to launch the National
President’s Challenge in their communities. Events could include a local fitness fair or
expo, fitness talks/lectures, fun runs or fitness walks, and social events.

Whom do I contact regarding problems on www.presidentschallenge.org ?

You can e-mail the President’s Challenge program staff at preschal@indiana.edu or call
800-258-8146, Monday -Friday, 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. EST.

COST OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE

Is there a cost to participate in the National President’s Challenge?

No. Participation is completely free. Once you complete your six weeks of activity you will
have the option to download a free certificate. You may also purchase any of the awards
available at www.presidentschallenge.org  to recognize your accomplishment.

INDIVIDUAL VS. GROUP PARTICIPATION

Can I participate as an individual or should I join a group?

The Challenge is for both those who want to join alone or for those who want to join with
others. Joining a group is a great way to get family, friends and co-workers motivated to be
active. There is no limit to how many groups participants can belong to and participants
can join or leave at any time.

CREATING A GROUP

How do I create a group for the National President’s Challenge?



Visit the Group Admin section on www.presidentschallenge.org 
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/group_admin/index.aspx  . Registering a group is
easy. You only need to have a username and password (to serve as the group
administrator), select a group name, and fill out some other basic information about your
group. You also need to determine whether or not you want to be able to personally
identify your group members. Group members are identified by a Group Member ID/Name
and their Username. If you want to be able to identify them (for recognition or reward
purposes), be sure to tell your group members the criteria for the Group Member ID/Name
(e.g., use their phone extension or first initial and last name). If you don’t want to be able
to identify your group members for privacy reasons, tell them to register with a Username
that is not personally identifiable and to use the Group ID Number or the name of your
organization, company, or school, etc. in the Group Member ID/Name field. Once you
complete the group registration process, you will receive an email with instructions on how
individuals can join your group.

JOINING A GROUP

How do I join a group?

If you do not have an existing log:

In order to join a group, you need to know two things: your Group ID Number and the
criteria for your Group Member ID/Name. Your group administrator should supply you
with the Group ID Number. The Group Member ID/Name is what allows you to be
personally identified among the other members of your group (unless you created your log
with an identifiable Username). Your group administrator may need to be able to identify
you for recognition purposes. If your group administrator does not specify criteria for a
Group Member ID/Name, you can use anything (e.g., 123456 or a day of the week).

If you have an existing log:

Log in as you normally do. Click on the "Your Groups" tab and enter in your Group ID
Number and your Group Member ID/Name. Contact your group administrator if you do not
know what these are. Alternatively, you can use the "Find a Group" feature on this page to
identify your Group ID Number. Click on the link "Find a Group," select your state and the
type of group. You can search for your group only if your group administrator designated
your group as public. If your group administrator did not designate your group as public,
you will need to contact your group administrator for your group information.

FOR TEACHERS

I’m a teacher and want my students to participate. How can I register a
class?

You can create a group for your students on www.presidentschallenge.org . See the FAQ
on creating a group. Once you establish your group, instruct each student to visit the Web
site between March 1, 2008, and April 3, 2008, to create their own activity log (if they don’t
already have one).

Starting on March 20, 2008, students between the ages of 6 and 17 will need to be active
at least 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week for six weeks. You will be able to track the
progress of all your students (or group members) using your group administrator log-in.
Students can be identified by their Username and/or Group Member ID/Name, so be sure
to give them the criteria for the Group Member ID/Name if you want to be able to identify
each student (e.g., have them use their first initial and last name or a student number).

In addition, you may want to have your students sign up for the Presidential Active
Lifestyle Award (PALA) program instead of the Presidential Champions program. A school
that has 35% or more of its students earn the PALA award two times a year qualifies as an
Active Lifestyle Model school. Learn more about the school recognition programs at
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/school_recognition.aspx. 

Remind students to log their activity on a regular basis. The Web site will allow users to go
back 14 days to enter previous activity.

FOR EMPLOYERS

I’m interested in having my company participate. How do I do that?

You can set-up a group specific to your company and have your employees join that group
if you want to track your employees’ progress. See the FAQ on creating a group.
However, setting up a group is not a requirement for companies to participate. You can
encourage your group members (these might be current employees, family members, or
retirees) to register with a Group Member ID/Name that you can easily identify for special
recognition purposes, or you can encourage them to use something that allows
anonymous participation (e.g., the name of your organization or 123456). Please keep in
mind that a group administrator can see Usernames as well, so you may need to
encourage participants to register with an anonymous Username. We suggest giving
participants some criteria for the Group Member ID/Name even if it is a generic identifier to
prevent confusion during the registration process.

Participants will have the option of registering for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award
(PALA) or Presidential Champions program. The PALA requirements are the basis for the
National President’s Challenge; however, someone can register for the Champions
program and still participate. You may want to instruct your participants to sign up for the
PALA program to ease confusion at registration.

Please keep in mind that the President’s Challenge Web site uses session cookies. This
means that computer security levels must be set so session cookies are allowed.

PARTICIPANT RECOGNITION

How will participants in the National President’s Challenge be recognized?

Everyone who completes the Challenge by being active for six weeks is a winner!

Individuals and groups can download a free certificate of completion from
www.presidentschallenge.org .

States: The governor of the state that has the highest percentage of residents complete
the program will be declared the winner, and you can help your state win!

Employers and Organizations: Companies and organizations can use the President’s
Challenge program to help employees become more active, lead healthier lives and
contribute to reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and a spirit of teamwork within
the organization.

Schools: When 35% of students at a school earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award
at least two times in a school year, the school can become an Active Lifestyle Model
school and each student and the school are recognized.

More awards: In addition to the free downloadable certificates, you can be recognized
with pins, T-shirts, sport packs, medals and more—available by visiting the President’s
Challenge order center at: www.presidentschallenge.org/order_center/index.aspx .

For more information: Visit www.presidentschallenge.org  and www.fitness.gov .