Rural Schools and Health – Funding & Opportunities

Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program
Grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in high need schools and local educational agencies.

Safe and Supportive Schools: Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program
Grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers with the goal of increasing the number and diversity of high-quality, trained providers available to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in high need schools. Small, rural schools fall under the definition of high need local education agencies, and partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and other minority serving institutions are a program priority.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Dissemination and Implementation Research to Advance Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health Preventive Interventions in School Settings
Notice of Special Interest for dissemination and implementation research to support innovative approaches to overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions to support children's mental, emotional, and behavioral health in school settings. Health disparity populations, including individuals living in rural areas, are a priority.

National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program
Funding for schools and residential child care institutions to provide afterschool snacks to low-income children who participate in the National School Lunch program.

Summer Food Service Program
Funding to provide free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need during the summer months.

Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program Inactive
Grants to support new and existing edible gardens at K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations. Applications from rural and tribal communities are encouraged.

AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program Replacement and Expansion Opportunity Inactive
Program that engages adults age 55 and over to provide mentorship for children and youth with special or exceptional needs, or who would benefit from the one-one-one attention. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve in schools, Head Starts, drug treatment centers, correctional institutions, and childcare centers. Priority states and territories are listed in Appendix A of the application instructions.

Farm to School Grant Program Inactive
Grants to plan, establish, and/or sustain a Farm to School program that improves access to local foods and nutrition/agriculture resources in schools.

Full-Service Community Schools Program Inactive
Funding to establish or expand full-service community schools, which are designed to improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families, with a priority given to high poverty rural schools.

Healthy Meals Incentives Grants for Small and Rural School Food Authorities Inactive
Grants for small and rural School Food Authorities that are experiencing challenges in the improvement of the nutritional quality of their school meals due to limited staffing, difficulty in accessing training, increased food costs due to limited purchasing power, lack of physical space, and outdated kitchen equipment.