North Carolina Parent Teacher Association (NCPTA) has received a $65,130.00 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation to support parent advocacy for school heath and develop a manual for parent engagement for school health issues.

One third of North Carolina adolescents are overweight or obese, impacting both health and academic outcomes. NCPTA will pilot a parent advocacy program in Anson County, NC to mobilize parents to advocate for policy and environment change in the areas of physical activity and nutrition. The ultimate goal of this program is to increase the number of students that consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and are physically active at least 60 minutes daily.

"While childhood obesity must be addressed in all community settings, schools have a unique opportunity to access most children in a community, and parent advocates can make a huge impact on a school administrations' adoption of policy and environmental change strategies," said Debra Horton, NCPTA Executive Director.

“We applaud the efforts of NCPTA and value this opportunity to continue to align our foundation with organizations, programs and people committed to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.

The NCPTA is the largest statewide volunteer organization working exclusively for children and youth. The organization serves as an advocacy group for children, working to influence policy makers on issues affecting education, health and welfare of youth. NCPTA has 200,000 members across the state representing child advocates, school staff, and parents from all levels of economics, race and ethnicity.

Statewide, the BCBSNC Foundation invested more than $726,000 in grants to 32 organizations as part of this most recent grant cycle. The BCBSNC Foundation focuses on three key areas: improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations served by safety-net organizations, promoting healthy and physically active communities, and increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations in the state. More information can be found at www.bcbsncfoundation.org.