Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC), 2026-2031

CHSC establishes and supports sustainable healthy communities as places where it is easier to practice healthy behaviors. Grantees work within priority communities, engage a variety of partners and decision-makers, and develop and execute a comprehensive implementation plan in local catchment areas including cities, towns, reservations, and neighborhoods. To define communities, the Department used Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (NTAs) for New York City and Minor Civil Divisions (MCDs) for the rest of NYS. NTAs were updated significantly in 2020, compared to 2010. MCDs include cities, towns, villages, and reservations. The communities are defined as MCDs in Capital, Central, Metropolitan Area, and Western Regions; and as NTAs in New York City. Communities were identified by the Department as eligible when at least 10% of their census tracts have high social vulnerability and/or high health burden. To define social vulnerability, the Department used the Social Vulnerability Index to identify census tracts in the top 25% for each region. Then communities were identified (MCDs/NTAs) where at least 10% of their census tracts have high social vulnerability. To define health burden, the Department used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) PLACES data to identify census tracts in the top 25% for each region for obesity and/or diabetes. Then communities were identified (MCDs/NTAs) where at least 10% of their census tracts have high health burden.

Grant goals include:

• Food Service and Nutrition Guidelines that promote adoption and implementation of food service and nutrition guidelines in regional or system-level organizations that align with the priority settings. Food service guidelines are standards for healthier food, beverages, and food service operations in worksite and community settings.
• Fruit and Vegetable Programs that expand or enhance existing fruit and vegetable incentive programs (FV programs). FV programs offer people financial incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables and are proven strategies that improve affordability and access to healthier foods. Examples include nutrition incentives, bonus dollars, market bucks, produce coupons, and produce prescriptions.
• Physical Activity and Nutrition Best Practices in Early Care and Education (ECE) that support ECE programs to improve the environment for children through the implementation of new or enhanced policies and best practices for physical activity, nutrition, breastfeeding/human milk feeding, staff wellness and/or to advance Farm to ECE.
• Community Design for Physical Activity for strategies to connect pedestrian, bicycle, or transit transportation networks (e.g., activity-friendly routes) to everyday destinations to increase safe and accessible physical activity.
• Local School Wellness Policies for Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs and a Healthy Nutrition Environment as found in the CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.

Find a Local Grantee in Your Community

To find a local grantee in your community see the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Grantee List.

Region	Grantee	Communities	Funded Amount
Statewide	JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.		$399,482
Capital	Clinton County Health Department	Altona, AuSable, Beekmantown, Black Brook, Champlain, Chazy, Clinton, Dannemora, Ellenburg, Mooers, Peru, Plattsburgh City, Plattsburgh Town, Saranac, Schuyler Falls	$320,000
	Glens Falls Hospital	Kingsbury, Whitehall, Fort Ann, Granville, Argyle, Putnam, Dresden, Hampton, Hebron, Warrensburg, Bolton, Johnsburg, Chester, Glens Falls, Horicon, Thurman, Stony Creek, Hague, Saratoga Springs, Corinth, Gloversville, Johnstown, Northampton	$320,000
	St. Peter's Health Partners	Albany, Green Island, Troy, Rensselaer, Schenectady	$320,000
Central	Herkimer County Healthnet, Inc.	Town of Herkimer, Town of German Flatts, City of Little Falls	$320,000
	Onondaga County Health Department	Cicero, DeWitt, Geddes, Onondaga, Onondaga Nation Reservation, Salina, Syracuse City	$320,000
	Seven Valleys Health Coalition	Cortland City, Cincinnatus, Cuyler, Freetown, Marathon, Solon, Taylor, Truxton, Willet	$320,000
MARO	Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County	Mamakating, Fallsburg, Liberty, Rockland, Thompson	$320,000
	Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County	Poughkeepsie City, Dover, Middletown, Newburgh City, Carmel, Southeast, Ramapo, Wawarsing (Ellenville)	$320,000
	Rockland County Department of Health	Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Stony Point	$320,000
NYC	New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene	East New York(North), East New York(New Lots), East New York(City Line), Brownsville, Starrett City	$320,000
	New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene	Harlem	$320,000
	The Institute for Family Health	Allerton, Bedford Park, Castle Hill-Unionport, Claremont Village-Claremont (East), Concourse-Concourse Village, Crotona Park East, Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester, Fordham Heights, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Kingsbridge Heights-Van Cortlandt Village, Longwood, Melrose, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven-Port Morris, Mount Eden-Claremont (West), Mount Hope, Parkchester, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest, Soundview-Bruckner-Bronx River, Soundview-Clason Point, Tremont, University Heights (North)-Fordham, University Heights (South)-Morris Heights, Wakefield-Woodlawn, West Farms, Williamsbridge-Olinville	$320,000
Western	Chautauqua County Health Network, Inc.	Chautauqua, Clymer, Dunkirk city, Dunkirk town, Ellery, Ellerton, French Creek, Harmony, Jamestown, North Harmony, Poland, Pomfret, Portland, Sherman, Stockton, Westfield, Olean, Ellicottville, Persia, Randolph, Salamanca, Amity, Cuba, Bolivar	$320,000
	Genesee Valley BOCES	Alexander, Batavia, Le Roy, Pavilion	$320,000
	Wayne County Action Program, Inc.	Arcadia, Butler, Galen, Lyons, Rose, Savannah, Sodus, Williamson, Wolcott	$320,000