To help Kentucky students perform better in the classroom and drive long-term health benefits, the American Heart Association awarded Goodridge Elementary in Hebron a $2,500 grant to help fund the Cardinals Across America Fitness Challenge.
The grant was awarded as part of the Kids Heart Challenge, a nationwide school-based program that provides age-appropriate curriculum to educate students about healthy living in a fun and engaging way.
Goodridge Elementary School Kids Heart Challenge coordinator and physical education teacher, Nick Reed, said he is excited that the grant will allow them to expand their Cardinals Across America Fitness Challenge.
“Goodridge Elementary School is blessed to receive a Kids Heart Challenge Grant,” Reed said. “Our grant has helped us to purchase classroom pedometers and handheld heart rate monitors that will help enhance cross-curricular instruction and assessment in our physical education classroom.”
(From left) AHA School Engagement Development Director Lydia Pruitt, Goodridge Principal Jennifer Patrick, and P.E. teacher Nick Reed. (Photo from AHA)
The Cardinals Across America Fitness Challenge is one of Goodridge Elementary’s fun ways to get kids active. During the students’ gym class, they wear a pedometer that tracks how many steps they take. Throughout the school year, each grade has a goal of walking enough miles to make it to a certain location in the United States, like walking from coast to coast or the length of the Appalachian Trail.
The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, is helping educators make whole-body wellness a priority by bringing more resources to school campuses. Grant recipients across the nation are now able to expand their schools’ wellness offerings with additions such as physical activity equipment, water bottle filling stations and educator training opportunities on their campuses to encourage their students to stay healthy and active. The application process was open to all schools that participated in the school-based programs in the 2022-2023 school year.
“Goodridge Elementary was a huge supporter during the Kids Heart Challenge and worked hard to give back to a great cause” said Lydia Pruitt, AHA development director of School Engagement. “They are so deserving of this award, and I was so proud to present it knowing it’s going towards the goal of building a healthier future for these kids. Many kids today aren’t active enough, and research shows that kids who regularly reach the recommended activity for their age have a better chance of a healthy adulthood.”
With a foundation set in physical activity, Kids Heart Challenge has expanded beyond the gymnasium to meet the needs of today’s youth and educators as science has proven the strong connection between physical and mental health. Kids Heart Challenge offers a variety of physical activities to get elementary students’ hearts pumping such as dance, basketball or jumping rope paired with virtual mission components to learn life-saving skills like Hands-Only CPR.
Funds raised by Kids Heart Challenge participants support the American Heart Association’s scientific research and outreach programs, paving the way for improved health outcomes for healthier communities. Schools are encouraged to register now for the 2023-2024 school year. The program provides grant funding twice a year, mid-school year and year-end, to provide resources in real-time to students. Since the grant program began in 2019, more than a million dollars has been granted to schools nationwide to support projects that make schools healthier.
To learn more about the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge and how to get involved, visit www.heart.org.
American Heart Association
