Photo courtesy Action for Healthy Kids
Our schools want what’s best for student health and academic success but sometimes lack the necessary resources to implement high-quality programs and activities to improve students’ physical/emotional health and preparedness.
Since 2009, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) has provided $8.7 million in grants and technical support to help schools achieve their student wellness goals. Since 2013, AFHK has funded 32 schools in Tennessee alone. Now through April 5, 2019, schools and parents can apply for a variety of grants available for the 2019-2020 school year including:
Game on Grants: Provides funding and resources for your school to introduce or improve nutrition and physical activity programs. With a grant of $1,000 or more utilizing AFHK’s flagship program, Game On, you can build a school garden, jump-start active recess, purchase physical education equipment, host taste tests, kick-off an after-school activity club, and so much more.
Parents for Healthy Kids Grants: Provides parents the opportunity to get involved in improving school health. Parents and parent-led groups (PTAs, PTOs) can apply for a $1,000 school grant to provide funds and resources to introduce or improve fitness or nutrition programs and engage families in health at school and at home. This will help ensure all students have access to healthy choices.
School Breakfast Grants: Expands access to school breakfast for hungry and undernourished kids. Grants from $1,000 to $3,000 can support equipment and other resources needed to implement or expand Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab-and-Go Breakfast, or other alternative breakfast programs that help students start their day right.
Approximately 450 grants will be awarded to schools and parents/parent-led groups for the 2019-2020 school year. “We encourage projects that are school-wide initiatives and that impact all students,” says Heidi Donato, a representative for Action for Healthy Kids.
Because they receive more applications than they are able to fulfill, the program is more likely to fund well thought-out projects with specific project details and anticipated impact. “We also focus our resources as much as possible on high-need, economically-disadvantaged schools,” Donato says.
This year, AFHK has seven partner schools in Tennessee, two of them located in Memphis. The Immaculate Conception School was awarded a Game On grant, which they used to fund new equipment for P.E. and recess and to implement a nutrition curriculum in K-6 science classes. Grahamwood Elementary School was also awarded a Game On grant, which they used to invest in P.E. equipment and nutrition education implemented through nutrition goal-setting and incentives.
“The goal is to support schools in improving the health and well-being of their students through projects that will positively impact the built environment, healthy programming, and policies and ultimately help them create a healthy school where children are learning lifelong healthy habits and are better prepared to learn and thrive,” Donato says. “School breakfast grants help to expand access to school breakfast and ensure more kids are starting the day right. Game On grants provide seed money to start or expand physical activity and nutrition education programming, and parent-led grants allow parents and caregivers to get involved in school health projects.”
Visit actionforhealthykids.org/grants for more information and to learn how to apply. The deadline for submission is April 5, 2019.