BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Healthcare Centers in Schools received a $10,000 grant to mentor high school students with diabetes to improve their health.

As part of a program with the American Academy of Pediatrics, healthcare centers in schools work with families to teach healthy eating through live cooking demonstrations. There are six community events to educate parents about how to make home-cooked meals that are appetizing and diabetes-friendly. These events will be held at three high schools where healthcare centers operate school-based clinics.

“This grant allowed Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Healthcare Centers in Schools to expand our robust programming by providing support directly to the students we see every day in our school-based clinics,” said Nicole Scott, Director of Clinical Services, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Healthcare Centers in Schools. “We have to prepare them for life without a school nurse helping to manage their diabetes during the day and teach them to make healthy choices when away from parents and guardians. We also want to make sure they know how to access the resources available to them at Our Lady of the Lake Health as they transition to adulthood and continue building healthy habits.”

“Complications from Type I diabetes can be severe for young people who struggle to manage their condition as a young adult. It is important that we do all we can to prepare them for success during this pivotal period,” said Dr. Sylvia Sutton, Medical Director, Healthcare Centers in Schools. “This program, which includes cooking classes and education on managing diabetes, is a game changer for the students and their families that we serve.”

Click here to learn more about the OLOL Children’s Health Healthcare Centers in Schools.