Building Healthy Schools
"The staff and students at Sykes Elementary are making good use of the Project Fit America equipment and curriculum. It's great to hear students describe how they have improved when comparing what they were able to do in August to what they are doing now. They don't always realize they're exercising and have expressed how much they enjoy the sessions when compared to traditional exercises. Teachers have even begun to exercise three to four days a week because of the healthy lifestyle commitment we as a school have made."
Eloise Jones, Principal, Sykes Elementary School
In 2012, the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation provided grants to implement the Project Fit America program in an additional 24 schools, bringing the total number of elementary and middle schools in Mississippi that have received this program to 188. The Project Fit America program includes indoor and outdoor exercise equipment, physical education curricula, and onsite training for PE teachers. Schools receiving the Project Fit America program record BMI and fitness data, along with data related to absenteeism and disciplinary occurrences at the start and end of the school year for two years.
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is proud to have provided grant funding to these organizations for Project Fit America in 2012:
- Baxterville School
- Beechwood Elementary School
- Bolton-Edwards Elementary Middle School
- D'Iberville Middle School
- Eupora Elementary School
- Gautier Middle School
- Hernando Middle School
- Itawamba Attendance Center
- Jefferson Middle School
- Leakesville Junior High School
- Long Creek Elementary School
- North Forrest Attendance Center
- North Gulfport 8th Grade School
- Northeast Madison Middle School
- Pass Christian Middle School
- Shelby Middle School
- Shivers Middle School
- Simpson County Academy
- St. James Catholic School
- St. Richard Catholic School
- Threadgill Elementary School
- T.R. Sanders Elementary School
- Trent Lott Academy
- West Oktibbeha County Elementary School
