Kohl’s Gift Expands Dental Outreach Program

Two years ago, Children’s Hospital partnered with the Virginia Department of Health–Dental Division to develop a 30–minute dental education program for first grade students in area elementary schools.

During the first year, 1,186 students in three Richmond and all Hopewell, Prince George and Petersburg area schools learned about dental health through a program designed to meet the Standards of Learning health requirement. This past year, the program expanded to Charles City and Dinwiddie first grade classes and brought dental hygiene messages to 1,761 students.

Beginning this fall, thanks to an $88,662 donation from Kohl’s Department Stores, the program will add five schools in Richmond and Henrico County, expand into the kindergarten curriculum in all schools except Richmond and reach nearly 9,000 students through a new “Train the Trainer” program.

On Sept. 1, 2009, school nurses representing 52 schools in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties were invited to the hospital to receive materials and instruction for taking the programs to their respective schools. Children’s Hospital staff will continue presenting two or three outreach programs a month in other schools.

“Children’s Hospital’s mission is to be a resource and provider of specialized health services,” commented Cyndi Cline, Hospital Liaison. “This is what we’re doing by helping to ensure the importance of good dental health.”

Kohl’s gift will fund the school dental outreach program, a dental health poster mailing to area schools and physician offices and dental health commercials on Central Virginia radio stations. It will also help offset the cost of the hospital’s TidBits calendar, which includes a dental health feature during February’s Dental Health Month.

“We are so grateful for the partnership we’ve had with Kohl’s since 2001,” said Stephanie Allan, Special Events Coordinator. “Kohl’s has donated more than $685,000 to Children’s Hospital Foundation since our partnership began, allowing us to provide health and safety information to children in Central Virginia. Kohl’s most recent gift will allow us to expand our Dental Outreach Program and reach even more area children.”

Prior to this year’s gift, Kohl’s annual gift was used to fund the Kohl’s Improve Your Safety Sense program, which included three annual health and safety days, a fire prevention day and other safety initiatives.

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