SHELBY, Ohio – The Plymouth-Shiloh School District is implementing a program to create a healthier more positive image among female students. “Girls in Motion” was made possible by a $1,200 grant from the Women’s Fund of The Shelby Foundation.
The district applied for the funding to make a difference in the lives of elementary and high school-aged girls in these rural communities by providing and supporting experts in the field of health, nutrition and dance.
The object of the program is to guide participants to grow into young women who make informed choices to avoid obesity and other preventable life-threatening conditions. A dedicated team will meet with girls in their schools throughout the year to encourage them to instill physical activity into their lifestyles.
School officials are offering this “Girls in Motion” program because overweight youth are at greater risk for emotional distress, have fewer friends and are more likely to be socially isolated and suffer higher rates of depression.
The Shelby Foundation Director Carrie Kemerer said the Plymouth-Shiloh School District received the full request from the Foundation’s Women’s Fund which was established to promote philanthropy among women and to create a permanent fund which will provide funding to programs and projects like “Girls in Motion.”
“We have dedicated the Women’s Fund to empower women in the Shelby area to achieve their full potential. Proceeds accumulated through the fund will be distributed through grants to programs in and around Shelby to promote intellectual, physical, emotional, social, economic and cultural growth for women of all ages. The moral support of the community, coupled with the financial generosity of its citizens, will provide endless possibilities for the women in the greater Shelby area,” said Kemerer.
Last year alone, The Shelby Foundation awarded more than $250,000 to area nonprofits through its grant-making process. For more information about the Foundation or the Women’s Fund, contact Kemerer at 142 N. Gamble St., Suite F, Shelby, or call 419-342-3686.