JOHNSTON, IOWA (February 22, 2019) — Schools across Iowa have the opportunity to receive a new water-bottle filling-station through the Rethink Your Drink program, funded by the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. Selected schools will have an old drinking fountain replaced with a new Elkay water-fountain/bottle-filling station and also receive water-bottles and toothbrushes for all students and staff. The new water bottle-filling station makes drinking-water more accessible for students and staff to stay hydrated with optimally-fluoridated drinking-water throughout the school day.
New in 2019, all schools that receive a new water-bottle filling-station will also receive a Rethink Your Drink educational kit, designed to demonstrate the importance of drinking-water in a fun and engaging way. The educational kit includes:
- Lesson plans;
- Age-appropriate activities and worksheets for Kindergarten through 12th grade;
- “The Sugar Story” book recommended for Kindergarten-2nd grade;
- Interactive Drink Displays; and
- USB Drive containing all electronic copies of worksheets, letters, games, and videos.
“More than 50 percent of children and teens in the US are not properly hydrated during the school day, which can impact learning and energy levels,” said Jeff Russell, president of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. “When students drink water, they are more alert and better hydrated. Plus drinking fluoridated water helps protect their teeth from cavities and improved their overall health.”
This is the third round of funding for Rethink Your Drink. Since 2017, the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has donated $430,000 to 115 schools throughout Iowa for the Rethink Your Drink program. In addition to updating or replacing existing water=fountains with a water-bottle filling-station, reusable water-bottles, and toothbrushes are provided for all students and staff. Click here to see a complete list of the 115 schools.
Applications for 2019 are now open at https://www.deltadentalia.com/rethinkyourdrink. All Iowa schools are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to:
- Communities with optimally fluoridated water;
- Schools with the highest rates of free and reduced price lunch; and
- Schools that do not already have a water bottle filling station.
2019 applications are due by Monday, April 1. The program, “Rethink Your Drink” is funded by Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation and supported by the Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Iowa Public Health Association, Iowa Department of Education and In Depth Marketing.
About Delta Dental of Iowa
Delta Dental of Iowa, a not-for-profit health and wellness company, provides dental and vision benefits to more than one-million Iowans. Locally focused and nationally networked, Delta Dental of Iowa invests in oral health and wellness projects through the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation and community giving that focus on access to care, prevention, education, and research. Since 2002, Delta Dental has invested more than $33 million to improve the oral health and overall health of Iowans.
Delta Dental of Iowa is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, the leading national network of independent dental service corporations. The Delta Dental member companies provide dental benefits to more than 78 million Americans in more than 146,000 employee groups throughout the country. For more information, visit the website at www.deltadentalia.com.
