RMC Health has announced a three-year, $8.75 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation in support of its Healthy Schools Colorado initiative.

The grant will fund continued efforts to address childhood obesity and help create a culture of health through a coordinated approach to policy, systems, and environmental changes in twelve school districts serving more than 325,000 K-12 students. Working with school districts to provide professional development and support to district-level coordinators and school-level leaders, the program will expand on recent initiatives to improve school nutrition and environments, health and physical education, health services, and staff wellness.

In addition to the twelve districts funded by RMC Health, programs in ten other districts will be funded by the Colorado Department of Education.

"Research shows that academic success is strongly linked to a student's health," said Colorado Health Foundation vice president of philanthropy Kelly Dunkin. "Providing a school environment that ensures that our children are served nutritious meals [and] have opportunities for exercise and access to basic health care is essential in creating a culture of health and helping our children succeed in school. Colorado schools have made significant progress in terms of incorporating wellness policies and practices, and we see the Healthy Schools initiative as a vital tool in supporting and amplifying coordination in schools."