Murfreesboro, TN - Delta Dental of Tennessee recently announced the 30 schools from across the state that were selected to receive “Water’s Cool @ School” grant to replace an existing water fountain with an Elkay bottle filling station. Two of the schools that were picked as grant recipients are in Murfreesboro. One of the two schools is the Rutherford Academy! Reports also indicate students at Riverdale High School did an excellent job on their project, which also equaled a grant for a new bottle-filling station. Below is the video that Riverdale students submitted with their grant application, highlighting why drinking water is important to your health…

Now in its third year, the Water’s Cool @ School grant program aims to teach kids about the importance of drinking more water and to make it easier for kids to stay properly hydrated during the school day. To date, more than 100 schools across Tennessee have received grants for a new bottle-filling station through the program.

“Drinking more water is one of the best and easiest things to you can do for your health at any age, and the creative video and art project submissions we received from schools across Tennessee clearly show that drinking more water can in fact also be the ‘cool’ thing to do,’” said Dr. Phil Wenk, CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee. “Thank you to all of the schools that applied this year, and congratulations to the grant recipients!” 

The 30 selected schools will receive their new bottle filling station and toothbrushes for all students, faculty, and staff. A select group of schools recognized for the creativity of their applications will also receive water bottles for all students and staff. Those top schools are: 

• Mary Hughes School (Piney Flats) 
• White House Heritage Elementary School (White House) 
• Genesis Academy (Nashville) 
• Rutherford Academy (Murfreesboro) 
• Riverdale High School (Murfreesboro) 
• Ellen Myers Primary (Harrogate) 
• Drummonds Elementary School (Drummonds) 

View the full list of 30 grant recipients here.

As part of the grant application process, schools are encouraged, but not required, to submit creative projects along with their application that highlights how water is good for your health, what makes a healthy smile, or why the school needs a water bottle filling station. Examples from this year’s applicants include: artwork created by students at Ellen Myers Primary School; White House Heritage Elementary School’s video highlighting the need for a new bottle filler to cut down on long lines; a newscast-style video produced by Mary Hughes School that tells the story of “Liquid Lady,” a superhero who captures the “Water Bottle Bandit” and “Dehydration Devil” after they are no longer able to run away due to their poor hydration, and Drummonds Elementary School’s parody of Justin Timberlake’s song “Can’t Stop the Feeling” entitled “Drink More Water.” To view additional submissions, search #WatersCoolTN on social media.

Delta Dental has produced oral health educational materials for students through the Water’s Cool @ School program including activity sheets, games, posters, and demonstrations. Organized by grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-12), the free resources are available to download here.

Be on the lookout in the fall for announcements on future grant opportunities! To learn more about Delta Dental’s philanthropic work across Tennessee, click here.   

About Delta Dental of Tennessee  - Delta Dental of Tennessee is the state’s largest independent dental benefits carrier with 1.4 million lives covered. As part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Tennessee members have access to the largest dental network in the nation with more than 154,000 providers serving more than 443,000 locations. With the simple mission of ensuring healthy smiles, Delta Dental of Tennessee works hard to help members of the communities it serves. Along with its corporate foundation, Smile180, Delta Dental of Tennessee donated more than $5.4 million in funding and in-kind services to over 110 organizations in 2022.  

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