Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Alabama announced Monday in a press release that during the 2020-2021 school year the company will create a pool of $250,000 to be given to Alabama schools through grants.

The money will be given away in amounts up to $10,000, and the recipients will be schools across the state with students ranging from kindergarten through the sixth grade.

This will be the eighth year of what BCBS calls the “Be Healthy School Grant Program.” According to the release, BCBS has given out 200 grants since the program’s inception, totaling more than $1.8 million. The company claims the grants have impacted over 96,000 students during the life of the program.

“We are seeing the positive results of healthy lifestyle initiatives being implemented in our schools by students and faculty. The ongoing success of the Be Healthy School Grant Program validates the investment we are making in the long-term health of Alabama’s children,” says Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Community Relations Manager Jeff Adams.

The grants are intended to help schools fund initiatives that increase exercise and help children learn healthy nutritional habits.

The window for schools to apply for one of the grants is Monday, January 6 to Friday, March 27. Interested schools can click here.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.