The Elementary School Program is school-based and focused on addressing the social determinants of health that have contributed to wide disparities in many communities across Michigan.
Donor Name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/30/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Building Healthy Communities: Reducing Health Disparities in Elementary Schools is recruiting entire school districts to implement the program in all their elementary schools. This is an intentional and coordinated effort to facilitate sustainable, system wide changes focused on healthy living opportunities. It provides access to healthy foods, safe places to be physically active, trauma-sensitive classrooms and health policies throughout entire communities.
The program has evolved to increase the quantity and quality of support that each district and school building will receive to implement the program. Expanded physical activity and healthy eating equipment, curriculum, physical and mental health resources, and technologies will be integrated at each school. Expert guidance and technical assistance will be provided at the district and school building level. Administrators, teachers, related school personnel and parents will all have access to at-school, virtual and other support and mentoring to make the program a success. A focus on trauma-sensitive schooling and bridging the school-to-family divide will ensure the program addresses the unique experiences that children living in under-resourced communities often face, and that families are a centerpiece of the school transformation process.
The program offers necessary resources and professional development to:
- Facilitate a healthier school environment
- Assist educators in recognizing issues of trauma that children may be experiencing that could affect their education
- Improve the mental health of children
- Increase school attendance and academic achievement
- Reduce communities highlighted by state and national data that illustrates rampant disparities in health, education and the economy.
Core Components
- Administrator Support
- Quality Physical Education
- Healthy Classrooms
- Active Recess
- Healthy Kids Club
- Schools Meals
- Trauma-Sensitive Schools
- Healthy Home.
Eligibility and Program Requirements
- Using state and national data documenting health, education and economic disparities throughout Michigan communities, they are recruiting school districts to join the Building Healthy Communities program where these disparities affect residents the most. They ‘re presenting the opportunity to central district administrators, school- level administrators and teachers in an effort to achieve districtwide support and commitment
- Participation in Building Healthy Communities: Reducing Health Disparities in Elementary Schools requires a school district to:
- Complete a Memorandum of Understanding between the school district and the program
- Secure support from central district administrators, school- level administrators and teachers
- Make sure all elementary schools in the district participate
- Commit to implementing the entire program. Each district is unique, and discussions are welcome to address modification requests to successfully integrate the program in all elementary schools.
For more information, visit BCBSM.
