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The TSET Board of Directors approved over $300,000 in
incentive grants for communities and schools at their most recent board
meeting.
Grants were awarded to ten cities,
seven school districts and eight school sites as part of the TSET Healthy
Community and Healthy Schools incentive grant programs at the TSET Board of
Directors quarterly board meeting earlier this month.
Incentive grant funds are earmarked as part of a long-term, comprehensive effort to prevent Oklahoma kids from starting to smoke or become obese. This program, and other current TSET grant commitments will continue, even as the TSET Board of Directors address a decrease in endowment earnings and has postponed funding new grant initiatives.
Grants are awarded to communities and
schools that have implemented strategies to increase healthy opportunities for
residents and students. TSET offers grants to communities and schools that met
have criteria such as tobacco-free policies, health and wellness policies and
increased opportunities for fruits and vegetables and physical activity.
Members of the TSET Board of Directors welcomed new board member Michelle Stephens during their January Board meeting.
Stephens, an attorney from Weatherford, was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin. Stephens, who has previously served on the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services, the Board of Education and state Career Tech Boad, has been a practicing attorney since 1992. She had worked as an assistant attorney general under Susan Loving and Drew Edmondson. Stephens is also a trustee at Oklahoma Christian and president of the Weatherford Board of Education.
Stephens was appointed to serve the remainder of term for a board member from the state’s 3rd Congressional District. TSET Board Members are appointed by seven different elected officials and represent the state’s congressional districts. Board members serve staggered, seven year terms.
The TSET Board of Directors awarded an incentive grant in
the amount of $110,000 to the City of Shawnee during the City Council meeting. Shawnee
has received two TSET Healthy Community Incentive Grant awards. The first
award, granted in 2012 for $10,000 at the Bronze level, was used to resurface
the walking trails around the airport. This recent $110,000 award at the
Silver and Gold levels has been used to update the Boy Scout Park in Shawnee. This
grant has been combined with other sources of funding from the Avedis
Foundation and private donations to renovate the restroom facilities and to
install a Splash Pad.
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 This is a leap year, giving tobacco users an extra day to
think about quitting tobacco. The Oklahoma
Tobacco Helpline encourages tobacco users to use this time to explore the
new FREE services the Helpline has to offer, including phone and web coaching, free
patches, gum or lozenges, and now free text and email support.
Are you ready to
take the leap? To take the Helpline’s Readiness Quiz, calculate how much you
can save by quitting tobacco or to just learn more about quitting, click here.
In addition to these new services, the Oklahoma Tobacco
Helpline has partnered up with radio DJ’s across the state, helping them quit
tobacco, and sharing the story with the DJ’s listeners. People now all over the
state can hear the quitting process. 8 Oklahoma DJs are working with Quit
Coaches using the Helpline’s free phone, web and text support to quit tobacco.
Read more about new helpline
services by clicking here.
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Shape Your Future has printable downloads available for use in your
classroom
Attention parents, teachers, principals and all those who work with children! TSET and Shape Your Future are reminding you of the free Shape Your Future resources available. Get your students in the Valentine’s Day spirit with printable Valentine’s Day cards.
If you’d like to sign up to receive emails containing more resources like these cards, coloring pages, activity sheets, and more, to help children and youth eat better, move more and be tobacco free, please click here.
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