MARSHFIELD – To improve the health and well-being of thousands of area students, Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., today announced $150,000 in Healthy Schools Grants being awarded to nine schools and regional organizations.
“Our Healthy Schools Grants are an investment in the future of the youngest members of our communities,” said Security Health Plan CEO Julie Brussow. “Security Health Plan is proud to be able to partner with these organizations, knowing that thousands of Wisconsin students will reap the benefits of these grants.”
The nine recipients were selected from 31 applicants for the one-year Healthy Schools Grants.
- Augusta Elementary School – Small Choice, Big Changes: Mind, Body Self. Augusta Elementary School is expanding the role of the Parent Coordinator for one year to focus on an expansive Family Education program, providing information on physical, mental and academic health.
- Bayfield County Health Department – The Voice of Prevention Through Our Youth’s Eyes! – Local students will develop a public service video to educate their peers and the community about challenges children face when alcohol and other drug abuse are common.
- Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin – Enhancing Oral Health and Asthma Management in Kids. This program will target 15 schools within Security Health Plan’s service area that have implemented the Wisconsin Seal-a-Smile program and Wisconsin Asthma Coalition school walkthrough program, to increase participation in both.
- Clark County Health Department – Youth in Action. A core youth-led coalition will be developed to address health priorities and risky behavior identified in a recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey and community health assessment.
- Indianhead Community Action Agency – Creating a Happier & Healthier Rusk County Through Positive Youth Development. A comprehensive suicide awareness and response program will be developed. Follow-up sessions will be held in each school district to help uninsured families sign-up up for ACA-compliant health care coverage, with navigators to assist them in selecting appropriate plans.
- Marathon County Special Education – Investing in Healthy Schools: Building School Mental Health Capacity. This population-based approach will provide universal, selected, and indicated services to promote the psychological well-being and health of all students.
- Eau Claire Memorial High School – Assessment in Physical Education. Purchased heart rate monitor systems to enable students to competently evaluate their daily class time performance and gain a better understanding of both their physical ability and how to be physically active throughout their lifetime.
- School District of Flambeau – Active Bodies/Active Minds. Using stability ball seating and desk bikes, to improve reading success while stimulating the whole brain. Fidgeting helps children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) concentrate, and just a little movement on the stability balls can meet their demands for expelling excess energy.
- Together for Jackson County Kids – Building Better Mental Health in Jackson County. MindUP is an evidence-based curriculum framed around 15 easily implemented lessons that foster emotional awareness, enhance well-being and promote academic success.
“As a health plan and a member of the community, we see health problems that often follow these young people beyond their school days,” said Dr. Mark LePage, Security Health Plan chief medical officer. “Healthy Schools Grants will nurture innovative strategies that can be replicated elsewhere, magnifying the positive impacts.”
For more information about Security Health Plan’s Healthy Schools Grants go to www.securityhealth.org/
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About Security Health Plan
Security Health Plan is a member of the Marshfield Clinic Health System, serving more than 230,000 residents in 41 counties of Wisconsin. Accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Security Health Plan insures employees of large and small businesses, individuals and families, and administers self-funded employer health plans.