Summer 2021 - Webstatic.bcbsms

Summer 2021Foundation’s School Garden Model Offers Edible EducationMannsdale Upper Elementary School Provides Healthy Hands -on Learning ExperiencesBlue Cross & Blue Shieldof Mississippi FoundationVisionA Healthy MississippiMissionProvide targeted grants to fundprograms and initiatives toimprove the health and wellbeing of MississippiansStrategic Focus Communities SchoolsInside this issue:Pictured above: Coach Rolando Roman (left) and Mannsdale Elementary Upper ElementarySchool students harvest and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables to sell at the LivingstonFarmers’ Market in Madison County.The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is partnering with K-12schools across the state to provide school gardens for healthy hands-on learningexperiences. The Foundation’s school garden program uses the schoolyard as aclassroom to teach students the importance of healthy nutrition that integrate withsubjects such as math, science, reading and art.Foundation staff participated in a ribbon cutting at Mannsdale Upper ElementarySchool (MUES) in Madison County for the school’s greenhouse. The greenhouse ispart of the school’s unique gardening education program where students in grades 3-5participate in every level of crop production, including sowing seeds, growing,harvesting and marketing fresh produce at student-run farmers’ markets. In addition tothe greenhouse, the MUES school garden includes 39 raised beds, five hydroponicgardens and a compost bin.Continued on page 2Summer 2021 NewsFoundation’s SchoolGarden Model OffersEdible Education1—2Healthy School AwardWinners 20212Healthy FoodsAccessible at WalnutGrove’s DowntownFarmers’ Market3Farmers’ Markets:ConnectingMississippians toHealthy Foods3Building a HealthyMississippi Near You!4Healthy Hometown202251

Continued from page 1Pictured above left: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation President Sheila Grogan (second row far left) celebrateswith Foundation staff, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Master Gardeners, Mannsdale school leadership and students asCoach Ro cuts the ribbon to officially open the greenhouse. Pictured above right: Students tend to plants in the school garden.“We are excited to transform the greenhouse and garden into a year-round learning lab,” said Rolando Roman, MannsdaleUpper Elementary School physical education teacher, known as “Coach Ro” by his students. “Our goal is to support health andwell-being and encourage students to choose delicious healthy foods.”Coach Ro plans to use the greenhouse to propagate seedlings to use as a support mechanism for other schools through “Seedsfor Schools,” a program he and MUES created to help other schools start garden programs. Coach Ro also implemented the“Junior Master Gardener Program” at MUES, a program developed by Texas A&M University and affiliated with MississippiState University Extension Service incorporating cross-curriculum learning of care and cultivation of crops with academicstudies.In 2021, the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation funded 13 school gardens in 10 Mississippi counties. Since2015, the Foundation has funded a total of 70 school gardens in 38 counties. For public and private K-12 schools interested instarting or enhancing a school garden program with Foundation grant support, please send an email toFoundation@bcbsms.com.Bell Academy (Cleveland School Distr ict) and Northeast Elementary School (Lauder dale County School Distr ict) wer eboth honored with a 2021 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Healthy School Award at the MississippiAssociation of School Superintendents Summer Conference held in Biloxi on July 16. The schools earned the title “HealthySchool” in recognition of exemplary school health and wellness achievements. Each winning school received a 50,000 grantaward fr om the Foundation to assist in effor ts to create and sustain healthy learning environments.“The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has a successful history of supporting schools and acknowledginghealth and wellness as integral parts of excellence in education and life-long success,” said Foundation President SheilaGrogan. “The Foundation is proud that Bell Academy and Northeast Elementary School are ensuring school personnel,students and their families learn to value their own health and the importance of making healthy choices.”Visit the Foundation’s website at www.healthiermississippi.org to learn more about the Healthy School Awards Program orto download the 2022 Healthy School Awards application.Summer 2021 News2

Healthy Foods Accessible at Walnut Grove’s “Downtown Market”Walnut Grove r esidents and sur r ounding community member s now have access to fresh local fr uits, vegetables, honey,eggs and other healthy foods thanks to The Downtown Market. The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundationawarded a grant to the city to expand the farmers’ market from a temporary location in the fire station to a permanent locationon Main Street. In mid-August, the Downtown Farmers’ Market received the Mississippi Certified Farmers’ Marketdesignation from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. This designation identifies the farmers’ market as aplace to purchase fresh local produce apart from markets that are flea markets or rummage sales.“It’s a dream come true for our residents as the nearest grocery store is thirteen miles away,” said Walnut Grove Mayor BrianGomillion. “There are all kinds of homegrown foods available from vendors using raised garden beds for growing tomatoes andpeppers to farmers with large field crops of corn and beans.”Mayor Gomillion is pleased to call the Downtown Farmers’ Market a “tremendous success” with 100-150 customers visiting the10-13 vendors each market day (Thursdays 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.).Pictured above and right: The Walnut Grove Downtown Farmers’Market includes a covered pavilion and a children’s play area focusedon healthy nutrition. (Images courtesy of Walnut Grove.)Farmers’ Markets: Connecting Mississippians to Healthy FoodsThe Blue Cross & Blue Shield ofMississippi Foundation recognizes eating ahealthful diet is fundamental to well-being,and when combined with physical activity,promotes overall good health. TheFoundation also recognizes farmers’markets as a staple in many Mississippicommunities affording families theopportunity to access fresh, local produce.The Mississippi Department of Agricultureand Commerce provides criteria forfarmers’ markets to receive the MississippiCertified Farmers’ Market designation.This designation sets apart markets whereSummer 2021 NewsMississippians can purchase fresh, locallygrown foods from markets that are notflea markets, rummage sales or bazaars.market or expanding an existing farmers’market with grant support from theFoundation, please send an email toThe Blue Cross & Blue Shield ofMississippi Foundation offers a grantprogram to expand farmers’ marketsacross the state. The Foundation ispartnered with the MississippiDepartment of Agriculture andCommerce to help each farmers’ marketfunded by the Foundation to achieve theMississippi Certified Farmers’ Marketdesignation. For Mississippi mayorsinterested in starting a new farmers’3

Building a Healthy Mississippi Near You!The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has a vision for a healthy Mississippi. A healthy Mississippi is a placewhere being healthy is the cornerstone of our communities and schools. We are working to make this vision a reality each and everyday through targeted grant funding to improve the health and well-being of all Mississippians.Take a look around with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation President Sheila Grogan to see how the Foundation isbuilding a healthy Mississippi from the Delta to the Gulf Coast and right here in our own backyard — the state’s capital city!All three opening this fall Indianola CommunityWellness CenterThe Children’s Center forCommunication andDevelopmentPlaygroundLeFleur’s Bluff State ParkPlaygroundAbove: Architect RenderingAbove: Architect RenderingAbove: Architect RenderingSheila Grogan (far left) tours the IndianolaCommunity Wellness Center constructionsite with Katie Yates, Chief FinancialOfficer for South Sunflower County Hospitaland Courtney Phillips, Chief ExecutiveOfficer for South Sunflower County Hospitaland South Sunflower County HospitalFoundation.Sheila Grogan (far right) visits USM GulfPark to see the progress of the playgroundconstruction at The Children’s Center.Standing left to right: Dr. ShannonCampbell, USM Senior Associate VP forCoastal Operations; Nancy Perry,Corporate and Foundation RelationsOfficer; Dr. Lachel Story, Dean, USMCollege of Nursing and HealthProfessions; and Sarah Myers, Director,The Children’s Center.Construction is now underway for thenew Indianola Community WellnessCenter being built at the corner of EastBaker Street and Moody Avenue. With agenerous grant provided to SouthSunflower County Hospital Foundationby Blue Cross & Blue Shield ofMississippi Foundation, residents ofIndianola, Sunflower County andsurrounding counties can look forward toparticipating in engaging activitiesdesigned to help individuals and familieslead healthy lifestyles.The Foundation awarded grant funds toThe University of Southern Mississippi(USM) Foundation to fund a specialneeds playground at The Children’sCenter for Communication andDevelopment, located on USM’s GulfPark Campus in Long Beach.The Indianola Community WellnessCenter will feature a fully-equippedfitness center for exercise opportunities,a teaching kitchen where healthynutrition and cooking classes will betaught, classrooms where participantscan learn practical ways to lead healthylifestyles and a community room forhealthy living activities.Once built, the 3,500 square footplayground will serve as an outdoortherapy space for children with complexintellectual and physical disabilities whoreceive cost-free services from TheChildren’s Center. It will also be a playspace for children in the Gulf Coastregion, both with and withoutdevelopmental disabilities.Summer 2021 NewsSheila Grogan stands near the constructionsite of the LeFleur’s Bluff State ParkPlayground.The Foundation provided a generousgrant to the Mississippi Wildlife,Fisheries, & Parks Foundation for theLeFleur’s Bluff State Park Educationand Tourism Partnership between theMississippi Department of Wildlife,Fisheries, and Parks’ (MDWFP)Mississippi Museum of NaturalScience and the Mississippi Children’sMuseum.The 21st century playground willfeature 80 play activities, with 73 ofthese features inclusive to childrenwith accessibility needs. Separate playareas based on age will be availablefor children ages 6 months to 12 yearsold.This grant also provides essentialfunds to create a state-of-the-artcomplex for physical and educationalactivities through a playground,outdoor classroom and pavilion, andmuseum walking trail.4

Is your town aMississippiHealthyHometown?The Blue Cross & Blue Shield ofMississippi Foundation is pleased topartner with the Mississippi MunicipalLeague to promote community healthand wellness through the HealthyHometown Awards.At the 2022 Mississippi MunicipalLeague Annual Conference, theFoundation may award a “HealthyHometown” grant to one hometown, oraward “Healthy Hometown” grants tomultiple hometowns, each at 50,000 ,regardless of municipality population.The application and criteria areavailable online at:www.healthiermississippi.org.2022 APPLICATIONS DUE:MARCH 10, 2022www.healthiermississippi.org

site with Katie Yates, Chief Financial Officer for South Sunflower County Hospital and Courtney Phillips, Chief Executive Officer for South Sunflower County Hospital and South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation. Above: Architect Rendering Above: Architect Rendering Above: Architect Rendering The Foundation awarded grant funds to