UnitedHealth HEROES Service-Learning Grants (Deadline: October 22, 2010)

UnitedHealth HEROES Service-Learning Grants (Deadline: October 22, 2010)

Youth Service America and UnitedHealth Group are encouraging youth to create and implement programs around childhood obesity in their local communities.

UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people, partnering with schools and nonprofits, to create and implement local hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. Educators, nonprofit leaders, and students are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $1,000 to engage youth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Now in its third year, the UnitedHealth HEROES grants have funded 361 programs, engaged more than 20,000 youth, and contributed more than 436,000 volunteer hours. Youth participants raise awareness around their work by culminating their service projects on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 15-17, 2011, an international day of service that occurs in all 50 states and in more than 100 countries.

Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 22, 2010. Grant recipients will be notified in December and January. To obtain an application, visitwww.YSA.org/HEROES.

Applicants can find additional information about the grant, service-learning, and childhood obesity atwww.YSA.org/HEROES, including "First Responders: Youth Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Service-Learning," a step-by-step manual that helps youths, parents, teachers, and other volunteers deploy YSA service-learning models to fight childhood obesity in their communities.