Grant money available to help college kids kick the habit

The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) announces the availability of $1.2 million in grant funding for Phase III of its Tobacco-Free Colleges (TFC) Initiative to combat tobacco use among students in the state’s colleges, universities and community colleges.

Phases I & II of the TFC Initiative have led to tremendous change. Currently, North Carolina leads the nation in the number of tobacco-free colleges with nearly a third of the state’s colleges and universities having adopted the tobacco-free policy (36 out of 111). Phase III will have full-time grant coordinators that will serve a minimum of 12 campuses.

“With Phase III of grant funding for the Tobacco-Free Colleges Initiative, our goal is to build upon the groundwork laid in Phases I and II, a foundation that made North Carolina a national leader,” said HWTF Executive Director, Vandana Shah. “In this next phase, we are supporting a regional approach and disseminating best practices statewide.”

Grant proposals will be accepted from current HWTF grantees as well as organizations not currently receiving HWTF funding. HWTF is particularly interested in funding:

* public or private colleges, universities, community colleges, trade schools or a statewide organizations (state agency or non-profit organization) interested in working with other colleges to accomplish the program’s goals, or
* government entities, or a statewide organization of government entities, including those with a public health focus.

Interested applicants can obtain a copy of the Request for Proposal and other application materials by visiting HWTF’s Web site at www.HealthWellNC.com. Final applications must be received by April 1, 2010.

The HWTF-funded Tobacco-Free Colleges Initiative became operational in January 2006, and in Phase I awarded grants to 20 organizations working with 58 college campuses in North Carolina. In Phase II, HWTF awarded more than $1.4 million in grant funding to 14 institutions. Grant awards ranged from $45,000 to $275,000 for a 30-month period.

ABOUT THE NC HEALTH AND WELLNESS TRUST FUND
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund makes North Carolina stronger, both physically and economically, by funding programs that promote preventive health. Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina’s share of the national tobacco settlement, HWTF has invested $199 million to support preventive health initiatives and $116 million to fund prescription drug assistance programs. For more information, please visit www.HealthWellNC.com.

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