New Georgia Elementary School Awarded $3,000 Grant for Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiatives

New Georgia Elementary in Paulding County, GA has been awarded a $3,000 Georgia Shape school health grant. Georgia Shape, Governor Nathan Deal’s Childhood Obesity Initiative, recently announced grants to 26 schools, including New GA, totaling $116,000 for the 2017-2018 school year. Grantees are awarded a $3000 core grant to focus on nutrition or a $5000 enhanced grant which provides funding for both nutrition and physical activity programs.
The funding is intended to empower schools to implement activities that promote lifelong healthy behaviors, many of which combat obesity and mitigate other chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. With its $3,000 award, New Georgia will support nutrition and physical activity initiatives including: improving physical activity during recess with the purchase of new playground equipment, engaging school nutrition staff in providing nutrition education to students; and family fitness events.
Representatives from New Georgia joined the winning schools on August 28th & 29th, 2017 for the annual Healthy Schools Summit to support grantees in planning for action. Throughout the year, awardees receive technical assistance from the Georgia Health Policy Center to ensure they implement sustainable activities customized for the needs of the students and staff. Collectively, Georgia Shape efforts are intended to improve the state’s health outcomes among youth as part of the Georgia School Health and Physical Education Act.
The Georgia Shape grants also help schools meet nutritional guidelines outlined by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HKFKA) and other federal laws that protect and advance student health.

Pictured above are: Assistant Principal, Andy Davis, P.E. Teacher, Marty Carter, Cafeteria Manager, Angie Pace, and Principa, Sonja Nelson.