• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Highmark Awards $400,000 to School Districts Across Pennsylvania Through Challenge for Healthier Schools Grant Program

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

PITTSBURGH, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Highmark has awarded $400,000 to 86 school districts across Pennsylvania to help them implement programs to combat childhood obesity. Obesity, especially among children and adolescents, has emerged as one of the top public health threats facing the nation today.

Since schools are widely viewed as the focal point for obesity prevention, Highmark has created a corporate obesity initiative called the Challenge for Healthier Schools that is designed to offer resources to schools to help them provide physical activities and improve nutrition choices and education to students.

"There is mounting evidence that the country's children are at greater risk than earlier generations for chronic disease because of the high incidence of inactivity and overweight," said Donald Fischer, MD, Highmark's chief medical officer. "Approximately nine million children and adolescents ages six to 19 are overweight. Through school-based approaches and community partnerships to encourage healthy lifestyles, we hope to prevent childhood obesity."

Highmark received more than 160 grant proposals. These proposals included funding requests for programs such as Sports Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) or Take 10, implementation of school wellness policies, the purchase of heart rate monitors and other fitness equipment, and professional training for school administrators and staff.

"It is important as a community that we all take responsibility for obesity prevention," said Dr. Fischer. "Highmark is very proud that schools want to be proactive in helping their students live longer, healthier lives. Highmark's Challenge for Healthier Schools grant program is a great way to engage schools in becoming part of the childhood obesity prevention solution."

The Challenge Grant winning school districts and their counties are: School District County Littlestown Area School District Adams Upper Adams School District Allegheny Valley School District Allegheny Baldwin-Whitehall School District Carlynton School District City Charter High School Elizabeth Forward School District - Elizabeth Forward Middle School Keystone Oaks School District McKeesport Area School District Northside Urban Pathways Charter School Quaker Valley School District Shaler Area School District South Fayette School District Armstrong School District Armstrong Leechburg School District Riverside Beaver County School District Beaver Southside Area School District Western Beaver County School District - Western Beaver Jr. Sr. High School Fleetwood Area School District Berks Reading School District Bellwood-Antis School District Foundation Blair Cambria Heights School District Cambria Westmont Hilltop School District Forest Hills School District Penn Cambria School District Keystone School District Clarion Redbank Valley School District Clearfield Area School District Clearfield DuBois Area School District Southern Columbia Middle School Columbia Crawford Central School District Crawford Penncrest School District East Pennsboro Area Middle School Cumberland West Shore School District Central Dauphin School District Dauphin Derry Township School District St. Boniface School Elk Corry Area School District Erie Erie School District - Edison Elementary School Fort LeBoeuf School District - Fort LeBoeuf Middle School Girard School District Iroquois School District North East School District Union City School District Wattsburg Area School District Frazier School District Fayette Chambersburg Area School District Franklin Central Greene School District - Margaret Bell Miller Middle School Greene Southeastern Greene School District West Greene School District Huntingdon Area School District Huntingdon Southern Huntingdon County School District Indiana Area School District - East Pike Elementary School Ben Franklin Elementary School Indiana Penns Manor Area School District Purchase Line School District - Purchase Line Elementary School United School District Brookville Area School District Jefferson Punxsutawney Area School District Ephrata Area School District Lancaster Solanco School District Shenango Area School District Lawrence Cornwall Lebanon School District Lebanon Southern Lehigh School District Lehigh Smethport Area School District McKean Commodore Perry School District Mercer Hermitage School District - Hermitage Middle School Lakeview School District Sharpsville Area School District Bethlehem Area School District Northampton Line Mountain School District Northumberland Milton Area School District Newport School District Perry Galeton Area School District Potter Schuylkill Haven Area School District Schuylkill North Star School District Somerset Rockwood Area School District Windber Area School District Cranberry Area School District Venango Bentworth School District Washington Canon-McMillan School District Greater Latrobe School District Westmoreland Monessen City School District Mount Pleasant Area School District South Eastern School District York Highmark Challenge for Healthier Schools

Highmark has long been at the forefront of leading initiatives aimed at fighting obesity in children and adults. Beginning in 2002, Highmark provided funding that afforded the launch of Fun to Be Fit, a physical education curriculum, developed and instituted within Pittsburgh Public Schools affecting over 22,000 children in grades K through 8. The program incorporates nutrition education each time students meet for physical education classes and relies on non-competitive, fun activities to engage students.

Since then, Highmark has provided funding for the KidShape(R) program now available at 10 sites in Pennsylvania, supported training for educators in SPARK, and including this year's Challenge, made $875,000 in grants to help schools develop activities and programs to prevent childhood obesity. In addition, Highmark and area physician leaders created a tool kit to assist doctors in talking to children and parents about obesity and weight-related issues. Most recently, Highmark launched the Highmark Health eTools for Schools Web-based, demonstration project designed to monitor student Body Mass Index (BMI) and improve school nutrition and physical activity programs. Highmark plans to expand the Health eTools for Schools program during the upcoming 2006-07 school year.

About Highmark Inc.

As one of the leading health insurers in Pennsylvania, Highmark Inc.'s mission is to provide access to affordable, quality health care enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark serves 4.6 million people through the company's health care benefits business. Highmark contributes millions of dollars to help keep quality health care programs affordable and to support community-based programs that work to improve people's health. The company provides the resources to give its members a greater hand in their health.

Highmark Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information, visit http://www.highmark.com/.

Highmark Inc.

CONTACT: Kimberly Scanish of Highmark, +1-717-302-4244,kimberly.scanish@highmark.com

Web site: http://www.highmark.com/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category