She is inspiring a whole new crop of students to love music and movement. It’s always one of the highlights of the year. Barbie Hokanson, 3rd grade teacher at Cornerstone Elementary
While teachers and principals know her as Kristen DeLeo, Director of electriKIDS, to students at local elementary schools in the South Bay, she is “Coach Kristen” and she has been inspiring kids to be active and fit for an entire generation. This school year marks electriKIDS’ 25th anniversary. PV Magazine had a chance to connect with Kristen and find out a little more about electriKIDS!
What inspired you to start electriKIDS?
After graduating from UCSD I pitched a youth fitness program to a popular gym in Encinitas, and they accepted my offer and hired me to design and run it. To promote the program, I did an assembly at my former elementary school, and it was a hit. That sparked the idea of bringing fitness programming to elementary schools. In 2000, I decided to start my own business.
I was inspired to create electriKIDS because I wanted kids to grow up feeling free and confident moving to music. I wanted to reach ALL kids- non-dancers and non-athletes too. I have always loved teaching. I planned to become an elementary school teacher after graduation. But there is also an entrepreneurial side to me that I needed to feed, so I combined my dance experience, my knowledge of basic physiology, and my passion for teaching into creating a unique kids’ fitness program.
What is your connection to the Peninsula and the PVPUSD?
I moved to the Peninsula in 1999 to get married, and soon after I approached PVPUSD offering my services in kids’ fitness. They initially contracted me for only the after-school enrichment program. Before long, the word got out, and schools started to invite me to lead programs as part of the curriculum during school hours. I hired some assistant instructors and began leading programs like: Muscle Mania School Workouts, Ballroom Dance, International Dance, Movin’ with Math, Hoedown, and more- all of which I’m still doing 25 years later! Often the PTA or Booster Club will sponsor electriKIDS during school hours, and PEF which now runs the after-school enrichment, still partners with electriKIDS.
In addition to working with PVPUSD, I have been teaching classes with the City of RPV Recreation and Parks Department and have led kids’ activities at the City of RPV’s Summer Movie Nights. I have also led Girl Scout workouts for various PV troops since electriKIDS’ inception.
One of my favorite connections to the Peninsula is the number of High School students who have worked as assistant instructors over the years. Many of them were former students of our program. It is rewarding to give them the opportunity to experience working with kids in a leadership capacity before they go off to college.
How do you feel about marking your 25th Season?
It is mind-boggling to think that the students who enjoyed the program at its inception are now in their 30s, possibly having kids of their own. My own children, both PVPUSD students, went through the program during their elementary years, so I had the privilege of being their mom and “Coach Kristen” while at their school.
After 25 years, I am proud of the impact we have made and am grateful that the community has embraced the program wholeheartedly. I feel creatively and professionally fulfilled.
You can learn more about Kristen’s story and experiences on her Instagram story at www.instagram.com/electrikids.
Photo Credit: electriKIDS
