The Lincoln County Partnership for Child Well Being has been awarded the School Nurse Pilot Grant from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, totaling $1.5 million, according to a press release.
The project will be implemented in three contiguous counties and allow Lincoln County schools to form coordinated school health teams. Each will consist of a registered nurse, family support coordinator and access to mental health professionals.
Part of the grant is collecting data to show the physical, social and mental health needs of students in public schools, and it will serve as a vehicle to demonstrate the needs of public school students and lay the groundwork for more programs across the state, according to the release. Over the summer, the grant allowed several schools to provide summer reading fitness programs, which they plan to expand next year. The funds have also been used in several high schools to form active mentor groups. The groups have been working on their campuses to help mentor younger students through interactions and reading positive messages, the press release said.
Agra High School held the “You are Important” day for elementary students, and Carney High School hosted the “RISE UP, by Lifting Others Up” workshop for grades 7-12. Meeker High School attended the Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, and the students put together 1000 Thanksgiving food baskets. In the fall, the mentoring groups will come together for the 2nd Annual HS Mentoring Summit to plan upcoming services and projects.