TOPEKA – Fourteen Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) Clubs across the state are sharing nearly $84,000 in Be the Spark grants to create or improve places in their communities where teens can be more physically active.
The recipients were announced during a Facebook Live event (KAYAN Facebook page) today at the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), Topeka.
The Be the Spark program was originally created in 2017 as a partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and the Kansas Association for Youth Alumni Network (KAYAN). In 2019, Blue Cross provided KAYAN with a second $150,000 grant to administer the two-year program in which mini-grants are given to KAY clubs across the state to implement initiatives to engage their peers through projects that support both physical and mental wellness.
The KAY clubs selected to receive the mini-grants are at:
Atchison Middle School
Cherryvale Middle/High School
Ellis High School
Emporia High School
Halstead Middle School
Holton Middle/High School
Independence Middle School
Osborne High School
Pike Valley High School, Courtland
Remington Middle School
Royal Valley High School
Santa Fe Trail High School, Overbrook
Thunder Ridge High School, Kensington
Wabaunsee High School, Alma
KAYAN received 22 applications in a rigorous selection process which included submission of letters of intent, surveying student bodies, research and partnering with community organizations.
"We are thrilled with the number of KAY clubs that have seized the opportunity to participate in this exciting adventure," said Cheryl Gleason, KAY state director and KSHSAA assistant executive director. "The results of their dreams and teamwork will leave a lasting impact on their school and community."
"The Be the Spark initiative has been full of opportunities for students all across the state of Kansas, including brainstorming and dreaming big of how they can make a lasting impact on their school and community, writing letters of intent, having meaningful discussions with leaders of their schools and then putting those pieces together into a grant application," said Katlin Bryan, Be the Spark project coordinator. "Through the generous grants from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and the KAYAN board's organization of these grants, students have been given the opportunity to make a difference by promoting healthy lifestyles and mental health for themselves as well as future generations of Kansans."
While the awarded KAY clubs brought forth different ideas, they were similar in that all focused on getting their peers moving more and connect the benefit of physical health to improved mental health. Some clubs will use their grant dollars to improve existing walking trails, sand volleyball courts and weight rooms, while others will install water bottle filling stations. Other clubs plan to purchase and install splash pads, disc golf course or create an outdoor classroom and activity space.
"It is inspiring to see the enthusiasm that these KAY club members have for Be the Spark," said Virginia Barnes, director of Blue Health Initiatives for the state's largest and only local health insurer. "They thoughtfully and carefully developed a plan that they determined was best for their school and community, one that will have long-term, sustainable results by helping themselves and their peers improve their lifetime physical and mental wellbeing.
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is proud to provide the funding necessary to make their initiatives become reality," Barnes said.