The Franklin County Extension Office has partnered with Tharptown Elementary School and Blue Cross Blue Shield to develop a fitness program for students – which will be partially funded by a $10,000 grant from BCBS, which the company presented to the school Oct. 1.

This grant will go toward equipment for the playground TES is building for its students.

“We look forward to working with the school on fitness, nutrition and parenting,” Extension Director Katernia Cole-Coffey said.

Franklin County Schools’ Susan Hargett wrote the grant and said some of the new equipment should be installed within a month. This equipment will include items like a chin up bar, balance beam and rope climb.

“There will be different stations that will work on different skills of the students that will be tracked,” Hargett said.

Coffey and Hargett are working with TES on setting up nutritional and fitness-related activities that parents will be involved in, to bring all of the elements together for the program.

According to Jeff Adams from BCBS, the insurance company awarded grants to more than 100 applicants this year.