The American Heart Association has awarded wellness grants to 69 schools across 37 states to address the growing health crisis affecting American children, where only 1 in 4 children gets the recommended daily physical activity and approximately 1 in 3 is overweight or obese according to research published at https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001303. These grants, distributed through the organization's Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge initiatives, provide critical resources to create healthier learning environments in communities nationwide.
The grants enable schools to purchase physical education equipment, upgrade playgrounds, install water filling stations, and provide counseling services tailored to their specific community needs. Lee Shapiro, J.D., volunteer chair of the board of the American Heart Association, emphasized that "Healthy living should be possible no matter where you live," noting that each school has unique requirements that these grants help address through enhanced nutrition programs, increased physical activity opportunities, and improved mental well-being support.
All schools participating in the Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge programs are eligible to apply for these grants, which are awarded multiple times each school year. These initiatives reach more than 10 million students in approximately 20,000 American schools annually, teaching participants and their families essential health skills including proper nutrition, stress management, tobacco and vaping avoidance, and recognition of heart attack and stroke warning signs. Students also receive training in Hands-Only CPR, a lifesaving skill that children as young as nine can learn and apply during cardiac emergencies.
The growing health concerns addressed by these grants are documented in recent research, including studies such as https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2836060 which examines trends in children's mortality, chronic conditions, and obesity. Schools interested in participating in the 2025–26 school year can register through the American Heart Association's programs, continuing the organization's mission to create equitable health opportunities for all communities and transform lives through proven health solutions and resources.
