The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) awarded a grant in the amount of $40,000 for eight spring 2022 projects called “Vax n Facts, Parent Workshop and Family Fun in Alexandria City Elementary Schools” to the following schools: Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School, James K. Polk Elementary School, John Adams Elementary School, Mount Vernon Community School, Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School and William Ramsay Elementary School.
In partnership with the Institute for Educational Leadership and with the financial support of Kaiser Permanente, NASN chose Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to champion this school health project to accomplish the following:
- Increase pediatric COVID-19 vaccination rates among children aged 5–11.
- Increase confidence in pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.
- Create sustainable school-community partnerships that increase health equity.
“ACPS is proud of our school nurses and clinic assistants,” said ACPS Director of School Health Services Dr. Jasmin Whitfield. “This grant is a testament to their dedication and integral to their holistic approach in fostering the health and well-being of all students.”
The application process was competitive and open to eight states and the District of Columbia. To be approved for funding, the School Health Services team had to demonstrate how ACPS school nurses assist to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake and access and/or vaccine confidence in their school communities, as well as how school nurses consider the unique needs of the ACPS community and sustain these activities and partnerships post-project implementation.