Accessibility Tools
  • Socratic Seminar

    Sustained Silent Reading
    & Socratic Seminar

  • Fitness instruction

    Exercise &
    Fitness instruction

  • Brain Targeted Teaching

    Daily Infusion of
    Brain Targeted Teaching

Meet Our FoundersEducators, Entrepreneurs & Social Impact Leaders

Dido Balla, M.Ed. Chief Vision Officer

Johns Hopkins University School of Education Graduate

Dido Balla, M.Ed.
Katherine Leiva, M.Ed.
Katherine Leiva, M.Ed. Chief Operating Officer

Johns Hopkins University School of Education Graduate

Our Mission

We create a space for kids to fall in love with fitness and literacy

  • What a kid does during the summer can determine how successful they will be during the following school year.
  • Reading for pleasure will increase kids' reading and critical thinking skills.
  • Physical activity is extremely important for kids' health.
  • The obesity rate is skyrocketing amongst teenagers.
  • Obesity amongst adolescents has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years
  • Childhood obesity has been linked to numerous health complications that follow the kids through adulthood.
  • What The Kids Say
  • What The Adults Say
  • Our Stories

    " Thanks to them I changed from being the lazy and rebellious girl at school to the efficient and kind of nerdy cool girl at school. "

    When thinking about teachers the first thing I used to think about was mountains of homeworks and people yelling at me for no reason. However, this mindset changed right in the moment that started going to school in this country (United States). Read More

    Nicole
    Sr. FitLitter since 2014
  • Our Stories

    " Having Balla and Leiva as teachers was an excellent example that with great teachers and an open mind that is willing to learn you can achieve everything that you want. "

    Having Balla and Leiva as teachers was an excellent example that with great teachers and an open mind wanting to learn you can achieve everything that you want. Inside the classroom I can say that for me Balla and Leiva were my best English teachers. Read More

    Maria
    Sr. FitLitter since 2014
  • Our Stories

    " FitLit is a belief, the belief in turning what is neglected as a challenge, and all challenges can be overcome! "

    Instilling the necessary meta- cognitive reading abilities during the stages of learning is not only challenging, but neglected.During the five years of working with Dido Balla and Katherine Leiva, they have both taught their students to self- question before, during, and after reading. Read More

    Antonella
    Educator
  • Our Stories

    " Balla and Leiva are amazing mentors and coaches to people of all ages. "

    Balla and Leiva are amazing mentors and coaches to people of all ages. As a teacher and fitness neophyte, I started working out with them as a favor. Quickly, my perception of fitness and goal setting changed. Leiva and Balla were very encouraging throughout. Read More

    Former Educator,
    MBA Candidate
FitLit Power Your Brain!

Your brain is arguably the most important muscle in your body, so you need to take good care of it. Here is how FitLit can help

How We Can Help
Thanks to our emphasis on pleasure-reading and engaging workout routines, all fitlitters stretch and develop their brains as well as their muscles.
Our Recent Posts

Better Your Tomorrow

  • July 24, 2016
    Dido Balla
    Recent Posts
    Day 10: See y'all next

    I have been procrastinating writing this blog post for a few days. I started writing it on Friday... Read More

    July 22, 2016
    Dido Balla
    Recent Posts
    Day 9: One, Two, Three... DREAM BIG!

    Leiva and I entered the room with Raymond, our guest speaker, and Jackie, his girlfriend... Read More

  • July 21, 2016
    Dido Balla
    Recent Posts
    Day 8: Spiderman's amygdala

    We are going to start with a very challenging exercise today--for sixty seconds... Read More

    July 13, 2016
    Dido Balla
    Recent Posts
    Day 3: Jump Squat or Nae Nae?

    The kids had a blast during our first Fit Day. We got there forty minutes earlier... Read More