Grant for Stanly
North Carolina Parent Teacher Association (NCPTA) has received a $65,130 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation to support parent advocacy for school health and develop a manual for parent engagement for school health issues.
One third of North Carolina adolescents are overweight or obese, which affects both their health and academic outcomes.
NCPTA will pilot a parent advocacy program in Anson County to get parents to advocate for policy and environment change in physical activity and nutrition. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of students who consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and are physically active at least 60 minutes daily.
“While childhood obesity must be addressed in all community settings, schools have a unique opportunity to access most children in a community, and parent advocates can make a huge impact on a school administrations’ adoption of policy and environmental change strategies,” said Debra Horton, NCPTA executive director.
“We applaud the efforts of NCPTA and value this opportunity to continue to align our foundation with organizations, programs and people committed to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.