Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge Program Awards $526,000 in Grants to 65 Pennsylvania Schools

PITTSBURGH, July 22 /PRNewswire/ — The Highmark Foundation, through the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge, recently awarded nearly $526,000 in grants to 65 elementary, middle and high schools across Pennsylvania during the second quarter of 2008. The grants will support programs that address bullying prevention and self-esteem, improve nutrition education, enhance nutrition choices and provide opportunities for physical activity.

“Through the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge, we have asked schools to be proactive and creative to help their students develop healthy lifestyles,” said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. “We recognize that schools receiving these grants are making significant progress in implementing programs that they feel address the health needs of their students.”

The board of the Highmark Foundation has committed the resources to award a total of $2.5 million in grants this year through the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge. The program has generated an overwhelming response from the schools and has awarded a total of $1.5 million to 192 schools thus far in 2008.

“We know that schools play a vital role in the lives of children and adolescents and we are proud to provide them with the resources and tools that will improve the health status of their students,” said Cook. “We would like to encourage schools that have not applied for a Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge to take the opportunity and time to do so.”

The Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge has also expanded to award grants for programs that focus on bullying prevention and self-esteem this year. In past years, School Challenge grants were awarded only to physical activity and nutrition initiatives.

Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grants are awarded throughout the year. Schools are invited to apply for School Challenge grants by visiting the Highmark Healthy High 5 Web site at http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/ and clicking on “Grant Process for Schools,” to download and complete the grant application.

The following schools received Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grants April through June 2008. For more information on the supported program at each school, visit http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/ and click on “Schools.”

   Allegheny   Bethel Park District – Independence Middle School   Bethel Park District – Neil Armstrong Middle School   Bethel Park District – Bethel Park High School   Deer Lakes School District – Curtisville Primary Center   Shaler Area School District – Shaler Area High School   Steel Valley School District – Franklin Primary School   West Jefferson Hills School District – Jefferson Elementary     Beaver   Aliquippa School District – Aliquippa Middle School     Berks   Wilson School District – Cornwall Terrace Elementary School     Blair   Altoona Area School District – Washington – Jefferson Elementary   Altoona Area School District – Baker Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – Juniata Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – Logan Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – McAuliffe Heights Program at Irving School   Altoona Area School District – Penn Lincoln Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – Pleasant Valley Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – Wright Elementary School   Altoona Area School District – Ebner Elementary School   Hollidaysburg Area School District – Allegheny One Elementary     Cambria   Northern Cambria School District – Northern Cambria Elementary School     Crawford   Crawford Central School District – Cochranton Junior – Senior High School   Crawford Central School District – Meadville Area Senior High School   Crawford Central School District – Meadville Middle School   Crawford Central School District – Neason Hill Elementary School   Penncrest School District – Cambridge Springs High School     Cumberland   The Harrisburg Academy     Dauphin   Lower Dauphin School District – Nye Elementary School   St. Stephen’s Episcopal School     Elk   Ridgway Area School District – Francis S. Grandinetti Elementary School     Erie   General McLane School District – General McLane High School   General McLane School District – James W. Parker Middle School   Iroquois School District – Iroquois Elementary School   School District of the City of Erie – Glenwood Elementary School   School District of the City of Erie – Lincoln Elementary School   School District of the City of Erie – Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School   School District of the City of Erie – Woodrow Wilson Middle School     Forest   Forest Area School District – East Forest School   Forest Area School District – West Forest Elementary Secondary School     Greene   Southeastern Green School District – Mapletown Jr/Sr High School     Indiana   Marion Center Area School District – W.A. McCreery Middle School     Lawrence   Mohawk Area School District – Mohawk Jr/Sr High School   Shenango Area School District – Shenango Elementary School     Mercer   Farrell Area School District – Farrell Elementary School   Farrell Area School District – Farrell Senior High School     Northampton   Northampton Area School District – George Wolf Elementary School   Northampton Area School District – Lehigh Elementary School   Northampton Area School District – Moore Elementary School   Northampton Area School District – Northampton Borough Elementary     Perry   Greenwood School District – Greenwood Middle/High School   Newport School District – Newport Middle/High School     Schuylkill   Tamaqua Area School District – Rush Elementary   Tamaqua Area School District – Tamaqua Elementary   Tamaqua Area School District – West Penn Elementary   Tri-Valley Area School District – Tri-Valley Jr/Sr High School     Snyder   Selinsgrove Area School District – Selinsgrove Area High School   Selinsgrove Area School District – Selinsgrove Area Middle School     Somerset   Berlin Brothersvalley School District – Berlin Brothersvalley Middle    School   Conemaugh Township Intermediate School   Windber Area School District – Windber Middle/High School   Windber Area School District – Windber Elementary School     Washington   California School District – California Area High School     Westmoreland   Ligonier Valley School District – R.K. Mellon Elementary School   Yough School District – Yough Intermediate Middle School     York   Red Lion Area School District – Red Lion Area Senior High School     About Highmark Healthy High 5  

Highmark Healthy High 5 is a five-year, $100 million children’s health promotion initiative of the Highmark Foundation. The mission of the initiative is to improve the health of children and adolescents ages 6-18 by providing them with the tools and practices needed to make informed decisions about living healthier lives. Highmark Healthy High 5 addresses five critical children’s health promotion issues — nutrition, physical activity, self-esteem, grieving, and bullying prevention — by raising awareness, changing behavior through grants and programs, and providing resources to parents, schools and communities served by the Highmark Foundation.

Highmark Healthy High 5 is an initiative of the Highmark Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/ or call 800-789-1726.

Highmark Foundation

CONTACT: Kaitlin O’Brien, +1-412-544-6006, kaitlin.obrien@highmark.com,or Kimberly Scanish, +1-717-302-4244, kimberly.scanish@highmark.com, both forHighmark Foundation

Web site: http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/