Twenty-three schools across Michigan will receive new water fountain/bottle fillers, thanks to $100,000 in funding fromthe Delta Dental Foundation (DDF).
The schools are winners of the DDF’s Rethink Your Drink: Water’s Cool at School grant program, designed to encourage children to drink more water during the school day.
“More than 50 percent of children and teens in the U.S. do not drink enough water during the school day. This can impact behavior, energy levels and cognitive function. And when kids choose to quench their thirst with sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda pop, juice and sports drinks, it can have adverse effects on their oral and overall health,” said Teri Battaglieri, Delta Dental Foundation director.
Winning schools will have old drinking fountains replaced with Elkay water fountain/bottle filling stations by Balfrey & Johnston in Oak Park. The winners will also receive reusable water bottles for all students and staff and up to $750 to design and implement a campaign to encourage students to drink more water during the school day.
More than 100 schools applied for the grants, and winners were selected based on a variety of criteria, including age and condition of their drinking fountains, creativity of their applications, percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, and geographic location.
The DDF piloted the Water’s Cool at School program at Okemos Public Montessori at Central last September , Within the first month of having their new water fountain/bottle fillers, students increased their water consumption and saved more than 2,200 empty water bottles from going into a landfill.
Grant winners include:
* Bath Community Schools, Bath
* Bentley Middle School, Burton
* Charlotte High School, Charlotte
* Concord Elementary/Middle School, Concord
* DeWitt High School, DeWitt
* Dye Elementary School, Flint
* Everett High School, Lansing
* Ferndale Lower Elementary School, Ferndale
* Grandview Elementary School, Livonia
* Handley Elementary School, Saginaw
* Hope Middle School, Holt
* LakeVille Memorial High School, Otisville
* Marshall Greene Middle School, Birch Run
* Meads Mill Middle School, Northville
* Olivet Middle and High School, Olivet
* Oscar A. Carlson High School, Gibraltar
* Patrick Hamilton Elementary School, Dowagiac
* Plymouth Educational Center, Detroit
* Sandusky High School, Sandusky
* Southeast Elementary School, Howell
* Waverly Middle School, Lansing
* Wegienka Elementary School, Brownstown
* Ypsilanti Community High School, Ypsilanti
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
