Highmark Foundation to award up to $500,000 in grants to support K-12 school health initiatives
Feb. 17, 2025 | PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (Feb. 17, 2025) — The Highmark Foundation continues its commitment to K-12 schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia with the announcement of its 2025-2026 School Grants Program. Over the past 13 years, this program has invested nearly $4.8 million to more than 1,000 schools to advance the health and well-being of local students.
This year's program focuses on improving students' physical and social health through comprehensive school-based strategies, encompassing physical and social health initiatives.
Grants of up to $7,500 are available for projects addressing:
Basic Needs Support: Programs for economically disadvantaged schools. Grant subcategories include child health and wellness grants or school equipment and supplies challenge grants.
Environmental Health: Initiatives that address air and water quality, green cleaning practices and the creation of fragrance-free environments to enhance student well-being.
Mental/Social Health: Programs that connect students and families to essential social services, including food insecurity, social-emotional learning, positive school climates and housing instability.
Physical Health: School-based physical health initiatives that promote physical activity, healthy eating, hygiene education and disease prevention.
School Nursing Support: School-based healthcare programs aimed to better educational and health outcomes, such as school nurse training, injury prevention, and health care for students with special needs.
"Investing in our students' health, safety, and well-being is a vital step in investing in our future," said Kenya T. Boswell, senior vice president of community affairs at Highmark Health. "The Highmark Foundation's school grants program underscores this priority by supporting important physical and social initiatives to set students up for success as they grow to become productive, impactful leaders in our community."
Eligible applicants include public, private, parochial, charter and vocational high schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. View more details about the 2025-2026 program.
The application deadline is April 15, 2025. Interested schools may apply online.
Virtual office hours are available for application questions Tuesday, Feb. 25, and Tuesday, March 25, between 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Email info@highmarkfoundation.org for a Microsoft Teams link if interested in attending one of these information sessions.
About Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our missing by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation's mission is identifying and continuously reevaluating our region's prevailing health care needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well-equipped to pinpoint the issues that more urgently need support.
In 2021, two new restricted funds were established at the Highmark Foundation — the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund. These funds support the ongoing work of the Highmark Foundation across its footprint and beyond.
For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org and follow the Highmark Foundation on LinkedIn.
Contact:
Bethany Ross
Highmark Health
304-347-7698
Bethany.ross@highmarkhealth.org