Health Promotion Funding Proposal Physical inactivity in children As a result of the emergent trends of how children spend leisure, it is becoming of a concern because it involves activities which can be described as physically inactive. The effects of physical inactivity is that it leads to the cause of other disease which others are chronic. The main aim of the project is to increase physical activities among students between 9th and 12th grade. As noted in the literature review only 18.4% of students in grades 9-12 engage themselves in rigorous physical activities and exercises everyday for about a week. The aim of the project would be to increase this percentage rate to 30% in the 1st half of their yearly study period. Then double it to 60% in the 2nd year through awareness promotions. To aid this plan the following objectives will work as guide towards the main goal of increasing physical activities among students: Advocate for behavior change among the students and increase their knowledge on importance of the activity. Assist schools create the environment that enables and encourages the practice of physical activity. Mediate through the media such as television and magazines to bring an attitude change. The programs Walk-to-School program which if implemented is expected to increase the number of students walking to school to over 40%. It is estimated that in the last three decades the number of children footing to school has decreased from 42% to 16% while those using vehicles as a means to school has increased from 15% to 50% (Federal Highway Administration, 2008). The aim of this program is to bring awareness to students of what is good for them and mobilization of parents and students to join in the program so that we can achieve more students walking to school (60%) than what it was three decades before. Funding would be diverted towards supporting Safe Routes to school (SRTS) which had States funding of $394.6 by June 30th, 2009 in support of Safety Routes. This was disbursed to 5,462 schools towards enhancing safety routes (NCSRTS, 2009). This is an advantage to this program since the concerns about safety routes are already being addressed, what remains is mobilization. The need for funding can be shown by the fact that there is a both structural and non-structural change that ought to be made which include safer crossing devices location, safer pavements and non-structural like communicating the rules to students and parents through posters and newsletters. DelDOT granted the Town of Smyrna $523,000(for three elementary schools Smyrna, Clayton and North Smyrna) in Federal SRTS funds for structural and non-structural changes that would allow and encourage safe walking to and from school (NCSRTS, 2009). They were supposed to construct sidewalks, crosswalks as well as increase awareness on safety. This shows the need for funding to ensure that there is corresponding mobilization on safety use even as there are structural changes going on. According to the Ottawa Convention creating supportive environment is essential to achieving the goals to better healthcare. The issue of safety of the children is the first to be addressed first in the form of structural changes such as safety crossing points and sidewalks thereafter non-structural changes such as ensuring keen driving by surveillance technology and awareness. Developing personal skills is an important aspect of influencing health as highlighted in the Ottawa Convention. It includes the insemination of findings and knowledge that changes individual attitude and their contribution to their own good health through affordable practices. On younger people prevention activities are encouraged through commitment to learning and sense of purpose (Morgan A and Ziglio E, 2007). References Federal Highway Administration, (2008), NHTS brief on travel to school. Washington,D.C.: US Department of transportation. National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS), (2009), Summer 2009 SRTS program tracking brief. Retrieved July 23, 2011 from Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) First International Conference on Health Promotion Ottawa, 21 November 1986 “ WHO/HPR/HEP/9 retrieved July 23, 2011 Morgan A and Ziglio E (2007) Revitalizing the evidence base for public health: an assets model IUHPE Promotion & Education Supplement retrieved July 23, 2011