Ocean City School District Awarded Sustainable Jersey for Schools Health and Wellness Grant

OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Intermediate School (OCIS) has been awarded a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Health and Wellness Grant. The grant will support a new student and staff yoga initiative at the school titled Promoting Mind and Body Health Through Yoga. OCIS is one of only 30 schools and districts in New Jersey to receive a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grant through the New Jersey Department of Health in this funding cycle.
With its newly awarded funding, the Ocean City Intermediate School will initiate a Student Yoga Program to offer one to two after-school yoga lessons per month to students in fourth through eighth grades. The goal is to not only teach yoga, but to also provide students with techniques that are beneficial for stress relief, relaxation and mental focus and give them an overall appreciation for healthy activity. The yoga equipment purchased with this funding will also benefit teachers and staff during yoga sessions on in-service days.
“The Ocean City School District is committed to efforts that promote the health and wellness of both its students and staff, so we are thrilled to receive funding to commence a yoga program in the 2017-18 academic year,” said Kathleen Taylor, Ed.D., superintendent of the Ocean City School District. “Our goal is to introduce our Intermediate School community to the practice and arm them with a tool to craft a healthy mind and body.”
“This yoga program will complement the many efforts underway within the Ocean City School District to address both the physical and emotional needs of its students,” said Geoff Haines, OCIS principal. “The district launched a comprehensive plan to support youth mental health and wellness last school year, and a significant component of that plan is to help students adopt positive, healthy behaviors.”
OCIS will seek input from students about what they hope to gain from the sessions and partner with a local yoga instructor to help design and lead the program. Students, especially those in student government, will help OCIS promote the student yoga sessions, set up the yoga equipment, track attendance and gather participant feedback to help inform any changes made to the program in subsequent years.
The New Jersey Department of Health is funding OCIS’ Health and Wellness Grant through its Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant. The Department of Health’s southern regional partner, AtlantiCare, will administer the grant.
OCIS is currently awaiting the official announcement of its Sustainable Jersey for Schools Bronze Certification, a program that recognizes schools and school districts for their positive efforts to improve environmental sustainability and overall health and wellness within the school community.
Currently, 273 districts and 679 schools have registered to work toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. “Sustainable schools are healthy schools, and schools that promote health and well-being will see benefits,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “These grants, funded by the New Jersey Department of Health, will support schools as they tackle important health and wellness actions.”