mini_grant_pitchWhat is the Mini-Grant?

A granting opportunity for Health and Wellness projects directly serving school communities in Santa Barbara County.

PLEASE NOTE UPDATE FOR SY 2020-21: For the School Year 2020-21 only, the grant cycle will be modified and will be for $500 grants. Apply here for 2020-21 school year mini grant.

Eligibility:

This grant opportunity is currently only open to school districts, school sites, and/or classrooms.

  • Open to teams (i.e. made up of administration, teachers, wellness committees, PTOs, PTSAs, food service) consisting of at least five members (preferably from different departments) responsible for program implementation.
  • Each team must have one designated presenter available to attend and present at the School Wellness Summit.
  • Proposals must impact school communities.
Criteria:
  • Proposals should support the district’s local school wellness policy, the board-approved document that guides a local educational agency’s (LEA) or school district’s efforts to establish a school environment that promotes students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn. On July 29, 2016, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) finalized regulations to create a framework and guidelines for written wellness policies established by LEAs. LEAs must fully comply with the requirements of the final rule by June 30, 2017. See Summary of the USDA Final Rule »
  • Programs can encompass other school-based activities that promote student wellness, Workplace Wellness, Food Literacy, Nutrition Education and Promotion, or Physical Activity and be consistent with the values of the School Wellness Summit by creating, supporting, and sustaining a culture of health and wellness in the school community.
  • Application must specify what target population will benefit from the program.
Award Details:
  • Each winner will be awarded $500 in the month of December 2020.
  • Each winner will be provided (1) complimentary registration per team for each session of the Spring 2021 professional development training series TBA.
  • Each winning team will be provided (3) complimentary registrations for the 2021 School Wellness Summit professional development training October 2021, specific date TBA.
  • Each winning team must provide a grant update in the form of a 3-5 minute video by May 3, 2021, and have one designated presenter available to attend and present at the 2021 School Wellness Summit October 2021 date TBA.
  • A standard presentation format will be provided to the winners.
  • Grant may only be used for specified wellness projects.

Closing Date for Application: Monday, November 2, 2020

Contact: schoolwellnesssummit@gmail.com


Sample Projects

See below for a list of sample projects and how health and wellness grant funds can be used in your school district.

Launching Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Schools Initiatives
Focusing on creating healthy schools has direct benefits for students, staff and teachers and has impacts on the health of the broader community. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health of young people and helping them establish lifelong patterns of healthy behavior. View Project »

Implementing Smarter Lunchroom Projects
Include campaigns such as Food Day, California Thursdays, Harvest of the Month, Rethink Your Drink, Meatless Mondays and Lean and Green Days, Salad Bar Etiquette, National School Breakfast and Lunch weeks. View Project »

Workplace Wellness Initiatives
Generate high rates of staff participation in wellness programs. Demonstrate how to promote healthy lifestyles with their students. Organizing district-wide Week of Wellness (W.O.W.) full of physical activity and nutrition promotion for the entire school community; staff, students, families. View Project »

Student Health Improvement Plan
Organized student wellness teams for across the district, provide professional development, assemble a community of practice with co-leaders from each of the schools, and guide each school team in developing a Student Health Improvement Plan. These plans include measurable goals focused on increasing physical activity and improving nutrition. View Project »

Outdoor Environment Learning Center and Life Lab
Applicable when teaching science, math, language arts, physical education, social studies, art, health and environmental education. It lends itself to inter-disciplinary studies and makes learning a multi-sensory experience. View Project »

Pink and Dude Chefs
Provides nutrition education and hands-on culinary skills to middle-school students. Since its creation in 2008, the Pink and Dude Chefs program has become one of STRIDE’s most popular community efforts. View Project »