By WYDaily Staff
Monday, March 08, 2010
Instructor Claudia Christner schools students on an after-school snack during their cooking club.
The Board of Trustees of the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation has approved another round of grant funding, and total of $733,925 has been awarded to two programs that promote physical and mental wellness among the community's youth.
The Foundation awarded $553,996 to the Williamsburg-James City County School System for its School Health Initiative Program (SHIP). This grant continues funding for SHIP programs already underway in local schools, such as Challenge Clubs and the Wellness Integration Program.
Challenge Clubs provide after-school activities for students to increase their physical activity and learn more about nutrition. Club members have learned skills in many healthy areas, including cooking, dancing, soccer, martial arts and yoga. Transportation is provided so that all students can participate. Read more about SHIP's after-school cooking club here.
SHIP's Wellness Integration Program instructs elementary teachers on the incorporation of movement into lesson plans as emerging research suggests this approach prolong student attention spans. The program has been replicated by three school divisions in Western Tidewater and two other school divisions are in the process of adopting it.
The WCHF Board also approved funding in the amount of $179,929 that will allow for the establishment of a Greater Williamsburg Child Assessment Center, administered by the Colonial Services Board.
The most recent grant adds to a WCHF October award totaling $132,036 to the Foundation-directed Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative. The site offers information on regional behavioral health services, regulations and news for people in the community as well as for behavioral providers and agencies.
The need for the GWCAC was identified by members of the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative who noted the community’s need for additional behavioral health services for children and youth as well as improved service coordination.
The GWCAC will be staffed by licensed mental health professionals who will offer behavioral assessment and referral services for children, youth and their families. The grant also continues funding for the Network of Care Web site, which includes information on regional behavioral health services, including low-cost services and related news for individuals, families and community providers. Click here to view the Network of Care Web site.
The Williamsburg Community Health Foundation is a non-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving the health of people living in Williamsburg and surrounding counties by strengthening access to quality health services and promoting responsible health practices. Since its inception in 1997, WCHF has awarded over $40 million in support of community health programs, the majority of which are implemented in James City and York Counties and in the City of Williamsburg.
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