Courtesy of Mayor Shirley Washington’s Office- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has awarded the City of Pine Bluff $800,000 from the Youth Engagement in Sports (YES) Grant. This is a two-year grant, with $400, 000 awarded each year. This grant was awarded to 18 cities in the United States, with Pine Bluff being the only award in Arkansas.
According to Tiffany Copeland, City of Pine Bluff Grant Writer, the Youth Engagement in Sports: Collaboration to Improve Adolescent Physical Activity and Nutrition Initiative seeks to identify characteristics of effective collaborations that improve physical activity and nutrition via sports participation. Copeland, who is currently housed at the Pine Bluff City Hall, was hired through the 5/8 cent sales taxes from Go Forward Pine Bluff. Mayor Washington states that she partnered Copeland with an external grant writing service in the procurement of this grant. This was done due to the short time frame and the extensive requirements associated with applying for this grant.
Mayor Washington states the grant will allow students to be exposed to three or more sports. She is extremely excited that one of the offerings will be swimming, which will support the operation of the city’s new aquatic center. Students will participate in free swim lessons, ultimately leading to the development of city-wide swim teams and lifesaving skills. This is not only important for the success of the aquatic center, but it also improves public safety and the quality of life in our community.
The program will be offered to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students three days a week after school. The program will hold 150-175 students each year. The YES Initiative seeks to support projects that expand youth participation in sports and encourage regular physical activity, especially for youth populations with lower rates of sports participation and communities with limited access to athletic facilities or recreational areas.
YES supports the Physical Activity Guidelines, which call for youth to get 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. The initiative addresses unhealthy physical activity and nutrition behaviors among racial/ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged youth (especially girls). It also provides opportunities to learn skills and gain experiences that contribute to healthier, more positive lifestyles. Youth Engagement in Sports projects begin in September 2019 and end in August 2021.
The YES Grant is a joint initiative of the Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and was created in collaboration with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and in consultation with the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and the Office of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN).
