Student Well-Being

Schools, Nonprofits Win $27 Million in Phys. Ed., Nutrition Grants

By Nirvi Shah — July 31, 2012 1 min read
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Schools, districts, and community organizations that partner with districts in 25 states will split $27 million in federal grants for physical and nutrition education.

Through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, or PEP, the U.S. Department of Education awards grants to expand and improve phys. ed and nutrition education programs for students of all ages. Since the program’s start in 2001, more than $620 million in grants have been awarded.

Some of this year’s grantees are the St. Louis school district in Missouri, the Newcastle district in Oklahoma, Maryvale High in Cheektowaga, N.Y., and the Yukon-Koyukuk district in Alaska. Here’s a complete list of the 56 winners.

“Exercise and good nutrition make for happier, healthier, more attentive and more productive students,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement. “These grants will help students strengthen their bodies and in so doing, inspire their minds to confront the challenges that face them both inside the classroom and out.”

You can find past winners here.

As Bryan has explained before on this blog, the winning programs must help students make progress toward passing their state standards for physical education and secondarily, they have to teach students about good nutrition and healthy eating habits. The program was spared by the federal budget ax late last year.

The PEP grant money can be spent on staff and teacher training, to buy equipment—though not entire playgrounds or other facilities, develop curricula, assess students’ fitness, and to collect data and evaluate programs.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.