Alexandria, VA The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) will award 10 grants of $10,000 each to help schools and communities work together to create a healthy school environment. The selected schools will demonstrate the capacity for best practice in leadership and instruction, support comprehensive health programs, and create strong collaborations with other community institutions.

The grant program is part of ASCD's worldwide effort to promote the integration of health and learning and the benefits of school-community partnerships. Grantees will assess the health-related aspects of the learning environment and use the results for school improvement and community engagement. They will participate in a study to identify the key indicators of success. School communities will receive technical assistance and become part of a Healthy School Communities network.

"ASCD is committed to supporting systemic healthy school reform. We are determined to assemble rigorous evidence that will enable us to track our progress and share resources, information, models, and key learning that will significantly improve the future of children's health and learning worldwide," said Gene Carter, ASCD's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Healthy School Communities sites will be selected in November 2006. The pilot grant is open to K-12 public and independent school communities in the United States and its territories, including Department of Defense Schools; Canada; the Caribbean; and the Asia Pacific region.

Grant applications are available online here. For more information about the application process, contact Theresa Lewallen, director, at 1-703-575-5622 or healthyschoolcommunities@ascd.org.

ASCD's Healthy School Communities is part of a large, multiyear plan to shift public dialogue about education from an academic focus to a whole child approach that encompasses all factors required for successful learning. ASCD hopes to recast the definition of a successful learner from one whose achievement is measured solely by academic tests, to one who is knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically engaged, prepared for economic self-sufficiency and ready for the world beyond formal schooling.

Founded in 1943, ASCD, a nonprofit association, is one of the largest professional development organizations for educator leaders. It provides education information services, offers cutting-edge professional development for effective teaching and learning, and supports activities to provide educational equity for all students. ASCD's 175,000 members reside in 135 countries and include principals, teachers, superintendents, professors of education, and other educators.