OXFORD — The Oxford Hills School District will share a $692,736 federal grant to implement physical activity and nutrition programs for every student.

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education is part of more than $35 million awarded to 76 local education agencies and community-based organizations around the country. The grant is the only one in northern New England and will total $1.2 million over three years.

“Decreasing our communities’ obesity issues, sedentary lifestyles and growing diabetes rates will be a focus of the PEP grant,” Oxford Hills School District Health Coordinator Patrick Carson said.

The grant was a collaborative effort between the Oxford Hills School District, the Telstar School District in Bethel, the University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Woodstock and the Bethel-based Mahoosuc Kids Association, Carson said. The majority of the money will go to the Oxford Hill’s School District.

The news comes on the heels of a county health survey that shows Oxford County is the least healthy county in Maine for the second year in a row.

“For Oxford County to lose its ‘Unhealthiest County in Maine’ title, the relationship between Stephens (Memorial) Hospital and the Oxford Hills School District is essential,” Carson said.

The survey results were released last week in a communitywide forum spearheaded by the Norway hospital, which is also working with area schools, law enforcement and health officials to improve the county health ratings.

“While the School District serves over 4,000 students and employees, Stephens Hospital and its programs serve more than one-half of the residents in Oxford County,” Carson said. “Without a university or college in our area, the hospital, Healthy Oxford Hills and (the) school district have to take the lead in this community initiative.”

According to the nationwide county health rankings conducted by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin, 27 percent of Oxford County adults are obese.

An Oxford County health report by the OneMaine Health Collaborative reported the Oxford County obesity rate at 33 percent, with 24 percent of residents reporting a sedentary lifestyle. That same survey shows 17 percent of students in grades nine through 12 are overweight and another 16 percent are obese. A total of 12 percent of Oxford County residents reportedly have diabetes.

“Moving forward, the PEP grant gives the school district and the hospital a more substantial foundation to impact more people,” Carson said.

The funding will be split between districts based on the total amount for a budget category and the districts’ number of students, Carson said. “There is also a set amount each year that goes to after-school programs to support physical activity initiatives during the after-school hours, school vacations and summer.

Carson said part of the money will be used to hire a three-year project director who will split his or her time between districts. The amount of time will depend on the number of students. Carson said the director will be responsible for overseeing the grant, facilitating a Physical Education Program leadership team, providing training for physical education and classroom teachers, collecting data, and reporting to both districts’ administrative teams and school boards.

Carson said there will also be an experiential education coordinator who will be an employee of the UMaine 4-H Camp & Learning Center. “They will spend time in both districts helping with Outing Clubs, school trips to the 4-H Learning Center, working with teachers, leading backpacking and canoe expeditions, and leading summer camp day programs at Roberts Farm,” he said.

“The vision and most important part of the PEP project is to make the Oxford Hills School District and Telstar School District the healthiest in Maine,” Carson said.

To do that Carson said school officials hope to introduce students to heart-rate education, technology and monitoring so they can develop a health assessment that travels with them from grades five through 10; purchase cardiovascular and strength and conditioning equipment for both the middle and high schools. The secondary schools in Oxford Hills School District and Telstar School District will have new fitness centers for student use, he said.

Outdoor equipment will be purchased and shared by both districts for the Outing Club, student trips to the 4-H Learning Center and summer and winter programs at Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway.

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