Health Resources

National Board Certification in Health Education

The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards is now offering National Board Certification in health education to health teachers who currently teach 5th to 12th grades. National Board Certification indicates that a teacher has met high standards for excellence in his or her teaching. For more information, visit the National Board's web site at http://www.nbpts.org/for_candidates/certificate_areas1?ID=28&x=50&y=8.

A CDC Review of School Laws and Policies Concerning Child and Adolescent Health

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released a new report that reviews school health laws and policies that lead to improved well-being and academic performance of children and teens. Key themes that emerged from the review include the integration of public health and education services, division of responsibilities, national primacy, and state and local innovation. The report, prepared by the Centers for Law and the Public's Health, a collaborative effort of Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities, was published in the Journal of School Health.

Dietary Guidelines for Kids

The American Heart Association provides dietary guidelines for infants and children http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4575.

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. The American Heart Association offers a free online curriculum in healthy lifestyles entitled HeartPower! The curriculum includes lesson plans for grades PreK through 8 about nutrition, physical activity, tobacco prevention and a healthy heart.

SMART Grants

The SMARTer Kids Foundation sponsors Connections, a collaborative learning and exchange program for sixth-grade students and teachers from the United States and Canada. Schools that are accepted into the Connections program receive a SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard system and associated software. Selected teachers attend a training in Calgary in July; they and their students engage in collaborative learning projects with other participating schools throughout the school year. A select group of students and their teachers then participate in a student visit to Calgary at the end of the school year. Applications for the 2008-2009 Connections program are due on March 31, 2008. Applications are available online http://smarterkids.org/k12/connections/index.asp.

HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative

The Hewlett Packard Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative supports the innovative use of mobile technology in K-16 education. In 2008, HP will award nearly $7 million in cash and equipment to K-12 schools in the United States and colleges and universities in North America.

Computers for Learning

The General Services Administration sponsors the federal government's program to transfer excess computer equipment from the federal government to schools and educational nonprofit organizations. The program implements Executive Order 12999, Educational Technology: Ensuring Opportunity for all Children in the Next Century. Register for the program at Computer for Learning www.computersforlearning.gov

Sprint Ahead for Education Grants

The Sprint Foundation Sprint Ahead for Education grant program awards grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resources that facilitate and encourage character education among K-12 students. Maximum Award: $25,000. All U.S. public schools (K-12) and U.S. public school districts are eligible to apply. Deadline: April 15, 2008.

Grants from the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has requested applications from local educational agencies for grants to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after-school programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program. An estimated $33 million is available for this program; 112 grants averaging $300,000 each are anticipated. Applications are due March 24. To learn more, visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/index.html.

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students program has also invited applications for the implementation and enhancement of integrated, comprehensive community-wide plans that create safe and drug-free schools and promote healthy childhood development. Plans must focus activities, curricula, programs, and services in a manner that responds to the community's existing needs, gaps, or weaknesses in areas related to the five comprehensive plan elements:

• Element One--Safe School Environments and Violence Prevention Activities.
• Element Two--Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Activities.
• Element Three--Student Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Supports.
• Element Four--Mental Health Services.
• Element Five--Early Childhood Social and Emotional Learning Programs.

Applications are due March 14, 2008. For more information, go to http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2008-1/012408c.html.

Physical Activity Grants for Youth

Nike, Inc. supports programs that increase and promote physical activity and seeks to (1) get youth more physically active; (2) get youth involved in the teamwork of sports; and (3) have a real, positive, and measurable impact. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status in communities where Nike has a significant employee or business presence. There is a rolling deadline. Contact Nike, Inc. directly for complete program information and application guidelines.

U.S. Potato Board Gives School Health Grants

The U.S. Potato Board, in collaboration with the School Nutrition Foundation, is launching its first School Wellness Grant program. The board intends to award ten $2,500 grants to public elementary schools in 2008. The grants may be used toward food service equipment for the healthful preparation of potatoes, physical activity equipment for playgrounds or physical education classes, or development/execution of nutrition or physical activity education programs. Applications, due April 15, 2008, are available at www.healthypotato.com/health.asp or http://www.schoolnutrition.org.

Guides to School Health Grants

Looking for a grant to support your school health project? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a Healthy Youth Funding Database which includes funding opportunities from federal agencies and the private sector that are relevant to adolescent health or one or more components of a coordinated school health program. A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded initiative provides links to private sector funding opportunities on its Leadership for Healthy Communities Web site, along with a number of resources about school-based efforts to combat obesity.