Hickory Creek gets grant for playground

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation (CDC) partnered with Cargill, CDC and the American School Health Association to award mini grants to 47 U.S. elementary schools to boost student health.

?We are very excited to be awarded the grant. The funds from the grant will be used for the purchase and installation of playground equipment, which meets or exceeds the School Health Index and the CDC?s safety standards for design, installation and maintenance,? said Donald Prater, principal of Hickory Creek.

According to the CDC, the number of overweight adolescents in the United States tripled between 1980 and 2002. Today, 17 percent of the U.S. children and teens are overweight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions ? including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Before applying for the mini grant, Hickory Creek School?s health team assessed its current program for two years, using the ?CDC School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide.? Each time, health goals were developed and implemented. Improving the playground remained a need in both assessments.

The school?s PTO has recently approved using another $10,000 on playground improvements for the school. The new mini grant was written for the school by Mary Jane Paz, who worked with the school system?s Coordinated School Health Program.

More information about CDC?s School Health Index is available at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI.