| y"> | | | | district and to talk with Holly Ging, the physical |
| Background: Since 2001, dramatic changes have taken | | | | education teacher who was behind the grant writing |
| place in schools across the United States due to a | | | | effort. She offers these five tips for schools |
| recent initiative designed to radically transform and | | | | interested in learning how to successfully write a PEP |
| reward school districts and communities wanting to | | | | Grant. |
| change. These changes in programming, curriculum | | | | #1: Provide Key Baseline Data and Student Buy-In - |
| and equipment are a part of the nation's response to | | | | For example, numerous meetings were held to |
| the dramatic increase in Type II diabetes currently | | | | explain the purpose and scope of the grant with all |
| found in our children and youth. | | | | interested parties constantly involved. This created |
| According to Dr. Cynthia Ogden, clinical researcher | | | | additional data for the need of the project and a |
| with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), | | | | constant "churning of ideas" to involve like-minded |
| approximately 31% of adults are obese and 15% of | | | | agencies, organizations, and people in the project. As |
| children and teenagers age 6-19 are overweight. | | | | a result, high school students such as Kelsey |
| While Dr. Ogden noted that overweight and obesity | | | | Holloway demonstrated the type of "readiness" the |
| is a concern for all individuals in the country, it is a | | | | grant reviewers needed to see in Shadyside's |
| major factor for increased heart attacks, stoke, | | | | application. "The PEP grant has given us an |
| hypertension, and certain types of cancer. | | | | opportunity to do more activities in gym class," Kelsy |
| So what are PEP Grants? The Carol M. White Physical | | | | states. It also "gives people an opportunity to come |
| Education Program provides grants to schools and | | | | in after school and get fit." |
| other youth-serving organizations "to initiate, expand, | | | | #2: Don't get Discouraged - Applying for the Carol M. |
| or enhance physical education programs, including | | | | White Physical Education for Progress (PEP) grant |
| after-school programs, for students in kindergarten | | | | was a rather "long road" says Ging. She advises other |
| through 12th grade." Up to $1.5 million can be | | | | potential PEP grant applicants to persevere, to |
| awarded through the PEP Grant Program. Additionally, | | | | reapply for the grant, and seek the help of a |
| grant recipients must implement programs that help | | | | professional grant writer, if possible. "We didn't get a |
| students make progress toward meeting any | | | | grant the first time," she said. "We were able to find |
| required state physical education standards. | | | | a person with grant writing experience and with his |
| For example, Shadyside Local Schools is now in its | | | | help, we were finally able to win over $800,000 for |
| second year of implementing a PEP grant. According | | | | our students!" |
| to the Alliance for A Healthier Generation, a national | | | | #3: Search the Web - There are a large variety of |
| 501 (c)(3) non-profit, funding from the PEP Grant | | | | great grant resources on the web, especially for the |
| program has made significant changes to the children, | | | | PEP Grant. Just doing a web search on "2010 PEP |
| youth, and families within this community. Grant funds | | | | Grants" or "Carol M White PEP Grants" will provide |
| have provided PE teachers with additional training in | | | | you with samples of funded grant activities, |
| the latest obesity-prevention instructional strategies, | | | | companies that offer free grant writing services, and |
| helped to change the students' perceptions of the | | | | actual copies of winning PEP Grants. |
| value of physical activity and sound nutrition, and | | | | #4: Start Early - The first thing you should do is to |
| have added more value to the importance of health | | | | visit the Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools' |
| and fitness as a whole. | | | | website ( to see when the "requests for proposals" |
| The Alliance states the grant has create a culture of | | | | (RFP) will be announced and the deadline for the |
| fitness within the community by creating " a newly | | | | grant application. Unfortunately, this grant has |
| equipped cardio room, new free weights and weight | | | | historically only provided six weeks between the |
| machines" and "incorporating health and nutrition | | | | announcement and the deadline. For this reason, most |
| messages and physical activity into core subjects. In | | | | winning grant applications come from those school |
| addition to the new equipment, the district has | | | | districts who have submitted in the past and have |
| purchased the Spark PE curriculum and is shifting its | | | | used the grant reviewers' comments to strengthen |
| focus from competitive sports to lifelong skills such | | | | their application. |
| as weightlifting, walking, golf and bowling." | | | | Good luck! |
| I recently had the opportunity to visit this school | | | | |