UnitedHealth Group Grants to Help Students and Educators Combat Childho...( PHILADELPHIA Dec. 2 /- UnitedHealth G...),Health

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is giving Pennsylvania children the opportunity to become "health care heroes" by learning about childhood obesity, designing programs to address it and implementing the programs in their communities.

UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people, working through educators and youth leaders, to create and implement local hands-on programs to address the issue of childhood obesity. Two UnitedHealth Group companies, UnitedHealthcare and AmeriChoice, are launching the program in 15 states.

"With UnitedHealth HEROES, we are helping young people take action to improve their overall health and quality of life in a way that's not only educational, but beneficial for their communities," said Tom Pappas, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare Pennsylvania. "We believe the best way to combat childhood obesity is to partner with the public and private sectors and the community to address local factors that contribute to the rise in obesity."

Schools and youth-focused, community center-based programs are eligible for UnitedHealth HEROES grants of $500 or $1,000. 38 grants will be awarded in total to Pennsylvania programs that demonstrate a clear understanding of the health risks associated with pediatric obesity; propose creative solutions to combating obesity in their schools and communities; and can be easily implemented, scaled and measured.

To obtain an application, visit www.ysa.org/awards and click on the "Grants and Awards" tab; then click on "UnitedHealth HEROES." The Web site also contains more information about the program and resources for gathering information on the risk factors associated with pe
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