Holl receives state grant to help K-12 schools enhance wellness programs

Dec. 10, 2021

Hannah Holl, a Slippery Rock University associate professor of physical and health education, was recently awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 for $18,000. The grant will fund a project led by Holl that provides professional development through virtual training for Pennsylvania K-12 teachers and administrators to incorporate school wellness programs.

Now in its fourth year, the program, titled “Creating a Healthier Society Through Schools,” will help teachers and administrators from six school districts increase students’ physical activity and nutrition. In addition to writing the grant proposal, Holl will serve as a consultant, training teachers and assisting schools in updating their current health and physical education curricula to have a greater focus on wellness.

The school districts participating in the program this year include Penns Manor, Blairsville-Saltsburg, Moshannon Valley, Apollo-Ridge Area, Shenandoah Valley and Tamaqua Area. Although Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 is a regional educational service agency that serves four counties in central Pennsylvania, the PDH grant is available for select schools across the state.