Delta State University’s College of Education announced a renewed partnership with the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation through the Healthy Campus/Community Initiative (HCCI). The HCCI will enter into a fourth consecutive year of cultivating a culture of health and wellness on the Delta State campus and in the Cleveland community, having received a total of $1.6 million since 2009.
“When Delta State University and the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation entered a partnership four years ago, the overarching goal was to create a model for establishing a health and wellness culture on a university campus that would also engage local schools and the broader community,” said Dr. Leslie Griffin, dean of the College of Education. “It is very gratifying to know that the Foundation is now able to replicate components of the model on other college and university campuses based on the model in place here at Delta State and within the community. A culture shift does not occur overnight and requires continual support if it is to be sustainable. The support of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, coupled with that of the local campus and community members, have made this Initiative successful. The foundation board members saw in this community the potential to accomplish long-term goals through a sustained commitment.”
The Healthy Campus/Community Initiative has begun planning university and community-wide events for the year with many of the same successful programs such as Group Fitness Classes, Walk It Out Cleveland, Court Street to Cleveland, Fit-Tastic Friday in the Cleveland Schools, C.O.R.E After School Nutrition Program, Health Fairs, and much more.
“We are more than excited to continue this partnership” stated Leigh Pickard, Coordinator and Registered Dietitian for the HCCI. “The impact that this initiative has had on our university and our community is evident. The past three years have been a continuous effort to provide opportunities and raise awareness regarding the importance of being healthy by making good food decisions and enjoying regular physical activity.”
“The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has as its vision a healthier Mississippi,” said Sheila Grogan, Executive Director. “We applaud Delta State University for their continued efforts to foster a culture of health and wellness on the University campus that extends into the surrounding community and schools in the Cleveland area.”
For more information about the Healthy Campus/Community Initiative, contact Leigh Pickard, coordinator, at lpickard@deltastate.edu or 662.846.4572.
