PICH Grant and St. Rita’s Health Partners Launch Activated School Challenge

One of the challenges for schools in Allen County, Ohio and throughout the United States is lack of adequate funding. In many cases, budget reductions have affected non-core classes and programs the most. Cuts have an enormous impact on physical education and physical activity opportunities for students and schools. In order to provide some necessary assistance, The Active School Challenge was created. This challenge is being brought to the community through a partnership between St Rita’s Health Partners and the YMCA’s PICH Grant. The goal of this challenge is to provide local schools with a technical assistance and financial support to create evidence based health and wellness initiatives, policies, programs and interventions.

“Research tells us that that if we can instill healthy lifestyle habits in our school-age children, we can set them up for a lifetime of healthy living,” says Amy Marcum, St. Rita’s Vice President of Mission and Values Integration. “In order for us to fulfill our mission of building healthier communities, we need to support the excellent work of our schools and teachers as they work diligently to incorporate wellness into their everyday curriculums.”

School projects and awards will be announced later in 2016. You can stay informed on the Activated School Challenge by following up on Facebook and Twitter or through our newsletter. You can add yourself to our newsletter emailing list by visiting www.activateallencounty.com and subscribing. You may also call the Activate Allen County office at 419-221-5035 with additional questions and ask to speak with Josh Unterbrink. We are excited to support the health of our young people and our local schools.