American Heart Association Awards Grants to Support Whole-Body Wellness in Schools

Strategic Insights -

The American Heart Association recently awarded 52 grants to elementary, middle, and high schools across the country to support whole-body wellness in support of physical and emotional health. The grants, which totaled an average of $2,400, will be used to expand school wellness programs with additions such as physical activity equipment, water bottle filling stations, and educator training opportunities. The grants are part of the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs, which aim to promote physical activity and support the physical and emotional well-being of students.

Key Takeaways:

  • The American Heart Association awarded 52 grants to schools across the country to support whole-body wellness in support of physical and emotional health.
  • The grants, averaging $2,400, will be used to expand school wellness programs with additions such as physical activity equipment, water bottle filling stations, and educator training opportunities.
  • The grants will support the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs, which aim to promote physical activity and support the physical and emotional well-being of students.
  • Only 20% of kids get enough activity to meet physical activity recommendations, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
  • The Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs are rooted in proven science, which has shown that kids who are regularly active have a better chance of a healthy adulthood.
  • The benefits of physical activity for children include improved grades, school attendance, and classroom behavior, as well as improved mental health and self-esteem.
  • Funds raised by Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge participants support the American Heart Association's scientific research and outreach programs.
  • The American Heart Association will now provide funding twice a year, mid-school year and year end, to provide resources in real time to students.

Statistics:

  • 52 grants have been awarded to schools across the country to support whole-body wellness in support of physical and emotional health.
  • The grants averaged $2,400 in funding.
  • Only 20% of kids get enough activity to meet physical activity recommendations, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
  • The American Heart Association has a long history of promoting heart and brain health, with a presence in the Dallas area for nearly a century.

Sources:

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Available for download here: https://health.gov/paguidelines/default.aspx
  • American Heart Association. (2022). American Heart Association Awards Grants to Support Whole-Body Wellness in Schools. News release.