Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles Through Education
A program sponsored by Trustmark Companies

How might an extra $1,000 have an "Impact" on the health of your students

Through the Impact Educator Grant Program, classroom programs in Lake County, Illinois, can receive up to $1,000 for promoting healthy lifestyles through innovative educational programs.

As a health insurance carrier, benefits administrator, and health and fitness management company, Trustmark supports health education programs such as Impact. We created Impact because we know how important it is to reach kids at an early age and instill healthy lifestyle habits. What better place to learn than at school?

Application period for 2013 Impact Educator Grants is now closed. Lake County, Ill., teachers and principals are invited to apply for a 2014 Impact Educator Grant starting in Septembr 2013.

The Impact program is available to all Lake County, Illinois, private and not-for-profit school educators -- kindergarten through high school. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Trustmark has a long history of supporting the local communities it serves.

For more information about the Impact program, download the Impact brochure (PDF).

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Me
“Second- through fifth-grade classes met weekly in the science lab, greenhouse, gym and playground. Part of our study was to grow cucumbers, tomatoes and basil. Our students found it exciting to sample the way self-grown foods can taste. This is our first year of Impact Grant funding. By making healthy eating decisions, students gain important insights in becoming healthy adults.”

Todd Freer and Jared Rathge, Science and Physical Education teachers
Andrew Cooke Magnet School
Waukegan, Ill.

Dancing and Playing Our Way to Health!
"This gave our first- and second-grade students the opportunity to learn songs that promote healthy eating and lifestyle habits through movement, instrument playing and singing. Students later came up to me in the hall to tell me they ate “red” or “purple” today. It’s from one of the songs, “Eat a Rainbow,” which means eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables.”

Alicia Luthardt, Music teacher
Oak Terrace School
Highwood, Ill.

Hearts 'O Fun
“Wearing heart rate monitors, students performed sit-ups, push-ups, calisthenics, obstacle course and jogging. They kept logs and determined which exercises yielded the best results according to the goals they set. Taking a pulse rate manually is difficult, often inaccurate and time-consuming. The heart rate monitors eliminated this problem.”

Denise DiValerio, Physical Education teacher
Green Bay Elementary School
North Chicago, Ill.

Breathing for Life
“More than 200 students currently enrolled in our school are diagnosed with asthma. We used the Open Airways curriculum by the American Lung Association to teach these students about their illness. Students learned the proper use of a metered dose inhaler, holding chamber and peak flow meter, which were purchased with Impact Grant funds. One student even made a visual schedule and video to assist in teaching the use of these items.”

Diane Driver, RN, Certified Schol Nurse
McCall Elementary School
Waukegan, Ill.

Spill Your Guts!
“How do the human body systems work together? We used anatomical models, and a variety of games and books to help students understand the skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems. With Impact Grant monies, we were able to supplement our existing equipment and purchase materials to allow more than one class at a time to use them.”

Crystal Rubenstein, Science teacher
Wauconda Grade School
Wauconda, Ill.