Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awards grants to area schools

Recently, the Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation donated nearly $17,500 to area schools.

The Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awarded the Atlantic Center for the Arts a $5,000 grant to support programs at Chisolm Elementary School and New Smyrna Beach High School.

The Atlantic Center for the Arts hosts a Healthy Minds ' Healthy Hearts program at Chisolm Elementary School to discourage bullying and encourage tolerance. At New Smyrna Beach High School, the Atlantic Center for the Arts hosts monthly activities and Feel Great Fridays. These activities help students de-stress from a busy week and encourage students of various interests to interact and celebrate their differences.

The Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awarded New Smyrna Beach High School a $5,000 grant. These funds will support the high school's 'Cudas Choose Kindness' student ambassadors program which focuses on the mental health of all students by spreading kindness on campus.

The Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation also awarded the Burns Science and Technology Charter School in Oak Hill a $5,000 grant to support the school's edible garden that students work in during science classes and middle school agriculture electives.

In addition, the Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awarded Read Pattillo Elementary School a $2,325 grant to support to support their health and wellness program.

Read Pattillo Elementary School developed a wellness plan to help families make healthy lifestyle changes. The plan features three large scale events, including a free community health fair with 13 learning stations that highlight community agencies, educational resources, and health care professionals to address the problems of obesity and cardiovascular health. Other events will be centered on nutritional education and designing an at-home fitness program.

This wellness project will serve the 450 students enrolled at Read-Pattillo Elementary School, of which, nearly 75 percent are at or below the poverty level.