Sierra Health's Partnerships brings you bimonthly news, opportunities, tools and resources.


	IN THIS ISSUE:
First REACH Program Improvement grantees announced Applications due April 15 for next REACH Program Improvement grants REACH Community Action Planning grants deadline April 21 Health Leadership Program applications available in early April Report on children's dental health results in state hearing Resources: Teenage physical activity; the Health DATA Program; and improving presentations.

First REACH Program Improvement grantees announced

Seven organizations have been awarded grants up to $10,000 each to improve quality and participation in youth programs in the California Capital Region. These grants are part of Sierra Health's newest grant program, REACH: Connecting Communities and Youth for a Healthy Future. Program Improvement grants will be awarded three times a year. The next application deadline is April 15 (see story below for details).

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Applications due April 15 for next REACH Program Improvement grants

Proposal deadlines for the spring and fall rounds of REACH Program Improvement grants are April 15 and Sept. 15. Sierra Health Foundation will award funding three times a year to public agencies, nonprofit organizations and faith-based groups that serve youth ages 10-15 in the California Capital Region. The grants, up to $10,000 each, will be used to improve programming and participation in youth programs. A proposers' conference was held in early March. Attending a conference, while encouraged, is not required to apply for a grant. Organizations interested in applying for the fall funding cycle should plan to attend the conference in August. For more information, including the application, grant criteria, and frequently asked questions, click here. Learn more about other REACH grant opportunities on Sierra Health's Web site.

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REACH Community Action Planning grants deadline April 21

Planning grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded to community coalitions to develop community-driven supports and opportunities for youth ages 10-15. Applications are due to Sierra Health by 5 p.m. on April 21. Grantees must begin their work between June 1 and Sept. 1, 2006. Successful planning grantees will be invited to apply for three-year implementation grants of up to $200,000 per year for up to three years beginning in 2007.

Coalitions eligible for these nine-month planning grants must be within a one-hour driving radius of the State Capitol. A community coalition may include individuals, agencies, organizations, businesses and churches. Each coalition needs to select an applicant organization responsible for all fiscal and reporting responsibilities to Sierra Health. This organization must be tax-exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a public agency. Find more information and application forms on Sierra Health's Web site.

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Health Leadership Program applications available in early April

Applications for Sierra Health's sixth Health Leadership class will be available in April and due in June. The seven-month program begins in early October. The program is designed to reward and develop experienced nonprofit leaders, and to expand their growth and impact within the communities they serve. Applications will be available to download online. The ideal candidate:

Leads a health or social services nonprofit organization, local public agency, or department
Has tenure of five years or more in an executive management role
Supervises a team of employees throughout the program's timeframe
Works for a nonprofit organization or public agency that serves one or more counties in Sierra Health's 26-county funding region
Demonstrates the capacity to become a vital leader in the community

Learn more about the program on Sierra Health's Web site and by reading the Health Leadership Program newsletters. To add your name to Sierra Health's mailing list, click here.

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Report on children's dental health results in state hearing

On Feb. 28, the State Assembly Standing Committee on Health held its first hearing in more than a decade on children's oral health in California. From February through June 2005, the Dental Health Foundation coordinated dental screenings of 21,000 children in kindergarten and third grade. The results, published in a Feb. 6 report, Mommy, It Hurts to Chew—The California Smile Survey, were shocking. In every classroom surveyed, there are children in debilitating, chronic pain. The study confirmed that poor and minority children suffer the most from tooth decay.

Sierra Health has partnered with the Dental Health Foundation since the inception of its brightSMILES program in 1999. Long aware of the inadequacy of children's dental care, Sierra Health has funded programs to expand existing dental health services in its 26-county funding region and community water fluoridation projects.

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	RESOURCES
	Access to Safe Parks Helps Increase Physical Activity Among Teenagers, a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research report by Susan H. Babey, E. Richard Brown, Theresa A. Hastert. The Health DATA Program is a public service of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The program provides health research data to help advocates, organizations and coalitions address public health policy issues in their communities. Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes will sharpen your presentation skills. Staff at nonprofits, foundations, government agencies or educational institutions can request one complimentary copy.