Health Resources

March in National Nutrition Month

Since 1973, the American Dietetic Association has sponsored National Nutrition Month to promote healthy eating. The 2008 theme is "Nutrition: It's a Matter of Fact." The National Nutrition Month website includes a link to the National Nutrition Month catalog, along with an interactive quiz, nutrition Sudoku games for kids and adults, a kids nutrition word search, and other activities.

National School Breakfast Week Celebrated

The School Nutrition Association sponsors National School Breakfast Week, celebrated from March 3-7, 2008. The program's website, themed "School Breakfast: Fuel Your Imagination," contains interactive activities for kids to promote eating breakfast.

Creating Asthma-Friendly Schools

The American Lung Association has launched the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative to encourage community organizations and schools to work together to create healthier school environments and protect students with asthma. A toolkit to guide communities in developing a local initiative is available at no cost.

Building Healthy Teen Relationships

Building Healthy Teen Relationships is a $14.6 million national effort from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to develop and test new models to prevent dating and sexual violence among 10- to 14-year-olds. The program, in partnership with the Family Violence Prevention Fund, will fund eight geographically and ethnically diverse communities to create comprehensive models of prevention that aim to decrease relationship violence and increase positive, protective relationship skills among young adolescents. Project applicants must be partnerships that may include public entities such as school boards. The Call for Proposals is available online.

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.

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.

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.