District awarded Building Healthy Communities grant
Farmington Public Schools received a districtwide Building Healthy Communities grant to implement healthy school transformations in all of its elementary and middle schools.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan launched the Building Healthy Communities program in 2009. It is a statewide partnership focused on using a broad range of strategies to improve healthy eating, enhance physical activity, decrease childhood obesity and improve the academic achievement of children and adolescents.
With the grant, the district is focusing on nutrition education through classroom lessons, increasing opportunities to be physically active throughout the school day and improving access to healthy food and beverages.
The implementation of the Building Healthy Communities program in Farmington Public Schools is led at the elementary level by Julie Kaminski, principal of Kenbrook Elementary School, and the Center for Health and Community Impact at Wayne State University. The middle school level program is led by Allison Robinson, principal of Power Middle School, in conjunction with Project Healthy Schools at the University of Michigan.
Parents and families will have access to the Building Healthy Communities web
site which includes many physical activities, several nutritional components, and the Healthy Living calendar. Teachers have access to a password-protected website that includes many lessons on these same topics.
At Power, a new water bottle filling station was installed, and all students will receive a water bottle once school is back in session. All of the elementary schools received new recess equipment to utilize once schools are back in session.
“The Building Healthy Communities grant has provided Kenbrook’s students and families with wonderful resources and learning,” said Kaminski. “We have all learned more about the importance of living a healthy
lifestyle.”
The program is funded through a partnership between the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Wayne State University, University of Michigan, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Fitness Foundation.
For more information on the Building Healthy Communities elementary school program, visit www.bhcwsu.org. For more information about the middle school program, visit www.projecthealthyschools.org/involved/start.html.