Vermont Business Magazine The recipients of the 2020 Wellness and Physical Activity Grants for Student Programs have been announced. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) Windham County Community Advisory Board has been inviting local schools and programs serving youth in Windham County to apply for these grants for the past seven years. The grants, totaling between $3,500-$5,000 each year, support innovative programming designed to encourage youth health and wellness programming.
Due to the pandemic, the grant cycle was extended into the fall this year to give schools more time to apply.
“These grants help kids to get outside on snowshoes, learn to cook nutritious meals—even host a Quidditch tournament,” said Megan Peek, Director of Community Relations and Health Promotion at BCBSVT. “Our Community Advisory Boards have full autonomy in developing and awarding these grants for their county, and it’s so rewarding to see how they support innovative ways that schools and youth programs to implement health and wellness initiatives for their students.”
The grants support students in 5-7 schools per year. Because many of the grants are for resources that remain in the school and will be used for many years, the impact on the youth of Windham County is cumulative and grows each year.
The Academy School in Brattleboro applied for funds to jump start an afterschool disc golf team with disc golf baskets, mid-range discs, and putting discs. “My hope is once students are exposed to this outdoor activity that they will continue to participate in it,” said Eric Cummings, a disc golf enthusiast, and a teacher at the school.
Disc golf is a great way to teach kids a life-long sport that gets them walking, running, and interacting outside with a trusted adult during those critical hours between school dismissal and when parents get home from work.
The Vernon Elementary School applied for funds to expand their Movement Math program, which incorporates math skills and the development of gross motor skills.
“We run four stations a day that work on large motor skills while supporting math skill learning,” said Beth Eriksson, a kindergarten teacher at the school.
The grant will support the purchase of new equipment that will get kids hopping, wiggling, and tossing their way to better math retention and comprehension.
The BCBSVT Windham County Community Advisory Board awarded 2020 Wellness and Physical Activity Grants to the following schools, after school programs and community camps:
- Academy School
- Brattleboro Area Middle School
- Brattleboro Enrichment Activities for Middle Schoolers (BEAMS)
- Guilford Central School
- Jamaica Village School
- Oak Grove School
- Vermont Elementary School
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is Vermont’s only local, not-for-profit health plan. For over 70 years, the company has been enhancing the health and well-being of the Vermonters by offering innovative plans to individuals, seniors and businesses. Our employees are dedicated to developing new ways to support high quality care and programs and events that promote wellness. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit www.bcbsvt.com.
Source: Berlin, VT, October 19, 2020—Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont