Waurika, OK (March 29, 2019) – Waurika Public Schools was honored on Friday for their efforts to improve health through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Healthy Incentive Program for Schools.
To receive the $15,000 incentive grant, Waurika Public Schools put a variety of policies and strategies in place to promote health and wellness for students and staff. The district will be using the grant funds for playground equipment and improvement.
Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director and Sharon Howard, TSET healthy incentive program manager for schools, presented a plaque and big check to Patricia Cook, Waurika Public Schools Elementary Principal, the Jefferson County Regional Director and staff as well as representatives from Duncan Regional Hospital.
The incentive grant criteria focus on strengthening district wellness policies to improve school nutrition, increase physical activity, student wellbeing and provide tobacco-free environments for students, staff, faculty and families. These health-promoting practices and policies are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Incentive grant funds must be used for projects or programs to improve health.
“These grants recognize the efforts of school districts and school sites that are actively promoting healthy lifestyles,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “Studies show that active, healthy kids perform better in school and we want to recognize schools that are making the healthy choice the easy choice for students, staff and the community.”
TSET was created by a constitutional amendment in 2000 as a long term strategy to improve health and ensure settlement payments from a 1998 multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry are used to improve the health of all Oklahomans. The funds are placed in an endowment to ensure a growing funding source for generations to come. Only the earnings from the endowment are used to fund grants and programs.
Funds for the TSET Healthy Incentive Program are limited and all available funds have been exhausted for this fiscal year. Grant applications will not be accepted for the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The grant program is expected to re-open for the next fiscal year.
The TSET Board of Directors has awarded grants to 54 school districts and school sites and 33 communities. Over $1.9 million in grants have been provided to promote partnerships at the local level to improve health and promote healthy behaviors in schools and communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Whitney Dinger, whitneyd@tset.ok.gov
Direct: 405-521-4959
Cell: 405-227-0488
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The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations working towards shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working across the state, by cultivating innovative and life-changing 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. TSET. Better Lives Through Better Health.