The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors awarded $90,000 to school districts and school sites across Oklahoma through the TSET Healthy Incentive Grant Program at their board meeting on Thursday, March 24.Tonkawa Elementary School was given $4,000.“Children spend a significant amount of time in school, and these school districts and schools are working hard to create clean, healthy environments for students and staff and to encourage good nutrition and exercise as a part of daily living,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “They are making an impact on health today and for the future, as healthy habits formed early last a lifetime.”The Healthy Incentive Grant Program focuses on strengthening policies and practices to improve school nutrition, increase physical activity, improve student wellbeing and provide tobacco-free environments for students, staff and faculty. These health-promoting practices and policies are based on national best practices and recommendations from experts.Once school districts have passed the recommended policies, they are eligible to apply for a grant for the district. Individual school sites are also eligible to apply if district policies are met. Grant funds are used for health-related projects chosen at the local level. Grant funds have been used for a variety of projects, including playgrounds, new cafeteria equipment, hydration stations and curriculum. Incentive grant amounts vary based on enrollment and the types of strategies implemented.The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations working toward shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working across the state, by cultivating innovative and lifechanging research, and by working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, visit TSET.ok.gov.
