Kansas teens take the lead to spark healthier schools
Topeka, Kansas (April 21, 2025) – Local students are taking the lead in building healthier school communities, thanks to Be the Spark grants funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and awarded to 20 Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) Clubs across the state. Grant recipients were announced today during a special event hosted at the Kansas State High School Activities Association in Topeka.
The Be the Spark program empowers student leaders to design and carry out wellness-focused projects that inspire their peers to be more physically active and support their mental well-being. From building outdoor classrooms and pickle ball courts to sensory rooms and mental and physical well-being programs, these projects are created by students, for students.
The KAY clubs selected to receive the grants are:
Andover Central High School
Argonia High School
Arkansas City Middle School
Atchison High School
Atchison Middle School
Holcomb High School
Holton Middle School
Independence High School
Junction City Middle School
Lansing High School
Meade High School
Salina South Middle School
Santa Fe Trail High School, Overbrook
Santa Fe Trail Middle School, Overbrook
Satanta High School
Sylvan-Lucas Unified High School, Sylvan Grove
Thunder Ridge High School, Kensington
Wabaunsee High School, Alma
Washburn Rural High School, Topeka
West Franklin Middle School, Pomona
Originally launched in 2017 through a partnership between BCBSKS and the Kansas Association for Youth Alumni Network KAYAN, the Be the Spark program gives students the tools and funding to bring their big ideas to life. The partnership reinforces the BCBSKS commitment to improving health and well-being for all Kansans.
“Be the Spark grants are about more than just funding – they’re about believing in young people and the power they have to lead real change,” said Virginia Barnes, BCBSKS Director of Blue Health Initiatives. “These students are proving that creating healthier communities doesn’t have to start with adults, it can start with kids who care and want to make a difference.”
Students went through a rigorous application process – submitting letters of intent, surveying their student bodies, partnering with community organizations and developing thoughtful, sustainable plans to improve school health.
“Thanks to the generous support of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) clubs across the state are empowered to lead meaningful mental and physical health initiatives within their schools and/or communities,” said Sarah Smith, KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director, KAY State Director. “Through this grant opportunity, student leaders identify needs, apply for funding, and bring their ideas to life – creating lasting impact on the well-being of their peers, schools, and communities.”
Whether improving existing spaces or creating new ones, all the selected projects center on one goal: helping teens get active and feel their best.
“It is truly inspiring to witness the passion of these KAY Club members as they develop sustainable plans to improve the physical and mental health of their peers and communities,” said Katlin Bryan, Be the Spark Project Coordinator. “These students have chosen to dedicate their time and energy to something greater than themselves—and that kind of commitment is powerful.”
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims; fairly administering benefit plans and contracts; offering programs, services and tools to help members improve or maintain their health; and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.
About Kansas Association for Youth
The Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) is a character-building, leadership-training, service program directed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association. This nationally acclaimed organization provides students an opportunity to learn to assume their citizenship responsibilities and to enrich their personalities through well-organized programs, projects and parties. Programs educate, inspire and direct members into carefully planned service projects. These projects emphasize four areas of service - school, community, nation and world. KAY is a student association unique to Kansas. The KSHSAA proudly offers this activity to Kansas students, through its member schools, as a means to "make a world of difference" for current and future generations. For more information, visit www.kshsaa.org/Public/KAY/Main.cfm.
About Kansas Association for Youth Alumni Network
The Kansas Association of Youth Alumni Network was founded in 2012 as an opportunity for KAY alumni to connect with one another and continue their support of the KAY organization. The goal and vision of KAYAN is to preserve and maintain the history of the KAY program, utilize personal resources and talent to develop a strong legacy for the program, maintain the pride, spirit and fellowship of the KAY organization, and promote the further growth of clubs as they serve school, community, nation and the world. For more information on KAYAN, visit www.kayankansas.org.