Blue Cross Foundation Announces Grant Awards
Projects across Louisiana include investments in public health, education and smart growth
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has announced four grant awards to Louisiana organizations for projects that address disparities in health and education.
Two local programs will receive Special Project awards, which are designed to expand successful programs for a greater impact:
- Health and Education Alliance of Louisiana (HEAL) – HEAL’s $100,000 grant will be used to grow the Coordinated Care for the Whole Child Program across the New Orleans district. To date, HEAL’s program, which makes healthcare available to remove the physical, mental and social health barriers to learning, has seen 61.25% increase in GPA and a 60% increase in attendance.
- Hope for Opelousas (HFO) – Based on tremendous success in tutoring fourth- through twelfth-grade students, Hope for Opelousas will use its $80,000 grant award to expand mentorship and tutoring to first- through third-grade students. Over the last ten years, 100% of HFO have graduated, compared to a 42% graduation rate overall in the area served.
Additionally, two Louisiana programs will receive New Horizons grants for innovation. Capped at $10,000, New Horizons grants overcome barriers to experimentation for agencies with bold new ideas. Those receiving grants are:
- LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center – Pennington Biomedical will study the effectiveness of playground stenciling and its impact on physical activity and student health. Stencils are a low-cost approach to encouraging exercise for kids at schools and other institutions that don’t have the dollars to expand playgrounds or purchase large physical activity equipment.
- Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) – CPEX will develop a pilot process and toolkit for implementing the Complete Streets policy in a target district within North Baton Rouge. Complete Streets policies encourage streets to be designed to accommodate all users to enable safe access regardless of age, ability or mode of transportation.
“This set of awards includes organizations and people who we believe show the best of what Louisiana has to offer its citizens,” said Michael Tipton, Blue Cross Foundation president.
“We are confident that they will make a meaningful impact on the communities they serve, and we are grateful to be partners in their extraordinary good work.”
More information about these projects, the New Horizons grant program and the Foundation is available at www.bcbslafoundation.org
The Foundation accepts proposals for various grant programs on a quarterly basis.
About the Blue Cross Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Together Blue Cross and the Blue Cross Foundation invest $2.5 million each year into Louisiana’s communities and nonprofits.