Funds used to continue Outreach Prevention Education at Midway Public Schools
FARGO – Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) is pleased to announce the Altru Health Foundation in Grand Forks was awarded a $2,600 BCBSND Rural Health Grant. The grant was used to continue Outreach Prevention Education, in partnership with Midway Public Schools, for students in grades 3 through 6.
According to the grant application, "Our fifth-graders had the chance to learn and work with Emily Spicer from Altru. She spent an hour teaching them a variety of yoga moves and breathing exercises," said Alice Smith, a fifth-grade teacher at Ben Franklin Elementary School. "Emily took the time to connect with students, and explain the purpose and function of each movement in a very ‘kid-friendly' way. They were beyond motivated and excited to participate in this great brain break from an experienced teacher."
The BCBSND Rural Health Grant Program is a collaborative with the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND). The purpose is to support local health care providers and their communities by offering funding for projects that champion increased physical activity and promote the health and well-being of rural North Dakotans.
"Our commitment to North Dakota extends well beyond the products and services that deliver peace of mind to our members. It extends to supporting the very communities that we serve and where our members live and work," said Tim Huckle, BCBSND president and CEO. "We are so impressed by the local collaborations that are formed in support of these quality projects."
Through an agreement with BCBSND to help develop and administer the program, CRH facilitates the application process and review, notifies the grantees of their award determinations, and monitors each program's progress through the year and releases the grant funds. CRH has administered the program since its inception. A complete listing of the recipients from each cycle of the program is available on the CRH website, http://www.ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/bcbs-grant-program.
