Are you looking for tips for healthy living at home and ways to reinforce those healthy habits at school? Apply for the Parents for Healthy Kids grant and start promoting school-based physical activity and nutrition initiatives!
Not sure what to do? Here are some ideas:
- Help your school start or grow their school garden and use their harvested vegetables and fruit in the school kitchen or the cafeteria
- Organize a sporting event or an event that includes healthy activities
- Create a running group or some other group that supports physical activity
- Raise money for playscapes and other play spaces at your child's school
- Organize a field trip to local farms and food banks
- Bring in nutritionists, farmers, doctors, nurses, or other professionals to talk about healthy foods and healthy living
And here's how to apply for the grant.
Parents for Healthy Kids Grant
Parents can be a formidable force for change in schools, especially when it comes to implementing health and wellness policies and programs that create healthier learning environments for kids. Studies show when parents are involved in a child’s education, their children demonstrate higher academic achievement, better attendance, better social skills, better eating habits, increased physical activity and less emotional distress.
Yet, despite wanting to do what’s best for students’ health, many schools lack the necessary resources to implement health and wellness practices that help students eat better and stay physically active, and be better prepared to learn. With that in mind,
Action for Healthy Kids has announced a new
Parents for Healthy Kids grant for the 2018-2019 school year designed for parents and parent-groups (PTAs, PTOs, etc.) to lead school-based physical activity and nutrition initiatives and to engage more parents in student and family health.
Examples include starting a school garden, getting kids to eat more fruits and veggies at lunch, or finding ways to ensure kids get more physical activity in and get the wiggles out during the school day so they can better focus in class.
Eligibility & Prizes
Grants up to $1,000 are available for all K-12 schools in Texas. Schools with greater than 50% of students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals may receive priority, as well as schools located within 15 miles of an ALDI store, but all schools are encouraged to apply.
All applicants will be entered for a chance to win one of 5 ALDI gift cards worth $100 each for their schools. Winners are randomly drawn and will be informed by 5/1/18.
How to Apply
- Review the application and application instructions.
- View the grant webinar to learn about specific grant details and eligibility requirements and receive helpful tips for applying.
- We recommend you complete a paper application with your school health team prior to submitting your application online. Once the paper application is complete, it will take ~30 minutes to submit online. (No school health team? Learn how to start one or contact schoolgrants@actionforhealthykids.org for support.)
- Log in or create an account on the Action for Healthy Kids school portal. Applications must be submitted online.
- Once there, connect your account with the school(s) for which you are applying. To do this, click on My Profile, then the Add or Manage Schools button.
- Click on Grants, and select the Parents for Healthy Kids grant. Then, complete your application!
Deadlines
- Monday, February 5, 2018 – School portal opens to accept applications
- Friday, April 13, 2018 – Applications due
- Monday, May 14, 2018 – Award notifications
- Friday, May 25, 2018 – School Terms and Conditions due
If your school is interested in a School Breakfast or Game On (geared toward school professionals and school health teams for nutrition and physical activity initiatives) grant, visit ActionforHealthyKids.org/Grants to learn more.
Resources
In case you missed our webinar on applying for Parents for Healthy Kids grants, you can find the
recording and
slides to help guide your application.