Reviewed by: Patience Itson
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Your school could earn $10K for new health and wellness programs—find out more
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Now through Sunday, July 16, your school can apply to receive up to $10K thanks to the Be Healthy School Grant Program from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Applying is easy, and it could bring your school next level programs like a school garden, new PE equipment, climbing walls and more. Read on for details and how Montgomery school Dozier Elementary used their grant.
Ready to get started? Apply today and help your school earn amazing new programs.
About the grants
Since 2012, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has been providing $300K worth of Be Healthy School Grant Program to Alabama schools every year. The grants help encourage children across the state to increase their physical activity and nutritional eating through school-based programs.
From school gardens to rock climbing walls, each recipient school gets up to $10K to go towards any programs, equipment or education initiatives that make students healthier.
“We get a lot of positive feedback from the grants. When we talk to the teachers and students and hear how excited they are about it, it’s so rewarding. PE teachers are usually the ones that write them, but we’ve had STEM teachers, librarians, principals or even parents write the grant, as long as the school gets the funding.”
Tim King, Manager, The Caring Foundation & Corporate Giving
This year, the grant program is welcoming some exciting additions. Not only are they expanding to accept applications from all schools enrolling grades K-12, but they’re also including adaptive equipment in the program.
“We’ve heard a lot of teachers who have students needing adaptive equipment to participate in PE programs, so that’s something we added in response. Additionally, we’ve heard from a lot of schools needing mental health programs, so if there’s anything we can do that helps schools address that, we try to listen.”
Tim King, Manager, The Caring Foundation & Corporate Giving
Help your school score programs it needs—apply for the Be Healthy School Grant Program today.
How this Alabama school used the grant
Schools can choose to apply the grant towards any program that best suits their health and wellness needs at the time. Dozier Elementary School in Montgomery was a recipient of the 2022-2023 Be Healthy School Grant Program. They chose to use their grant to fund highly-anticipated basketball nets and badminton nets for their students.
“We’re going to be purchasing basketball nets first and foremost. The kids love to play basketball. We’re going to be purchasing badminton nets—a lot of them haven’t even heard what badminton is.”
Jenny Wade, PE Coach, Dozier Elementary School
According to Dozier Elementary PE Coach Jenny Wade, seeing the reactions from each of the students made everything worth it. These additions will help students discover hidden talents and develop new athletic skills.
“Seeing a kid light up not knowing they could do a certain skill makes my day worth it. When they find out there’s something they’re good at, or if they weren’t good at it and find out later on when they keep practicing that they are good at it, makes my job worth it at the end of the day. Thank you so much for acknowledging Dozier Elementary and providing these kids what they need to learn through play.”
Jenny Wade, PE Coach, Dozier Elementary School
Elevating Alabama education
For Caring Foundation Manager Tim King, the most meaningful part of the grant program is how rewarding it is to uplift schools in need across Alabama.
“You go to rural parts of our state and you’d be surprised—sometimes they’ve got a bare patch of grass and some old monkey bars and that’s it. It’s really rewarding to see rural schools—and even some urban schools that don’t really have a lot of resources—be able to get these grants for their students.”
Tim King, Manager, The Caring Foundation & Corporate Giving
Since 2012, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has awarded more than $2.6M in the Be Healthy School Grant Program statewide—impacting over 134,000 students.
Apply today
Ready to apply? Make sure your school meets these qualifications:
- Located in Alabama
- Serve students in grades K-12
- Must be public or private school
Then, start applying! Applications are open now and this year, all schools enrolling grades K-12 may apply. Feel free to get creative, as long as your request addresses physical activity, nutrition and children’s health, it’ll be considered.
“We’re looking forward to this year with the addition of adaptive equipment and upper grade levels. We’re interested to see what the grants look like this year and how schools tailor them meet their needs. We’re looking forward to another good year with the program.”
Tim King, Manager, The Caring Foundation & Corporate Giving
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