Today, Montefiore Einstein announced the winners of its inaugural ELEVATE Health Grant, a first-of-its-kind pilot program created to empower Bronx high school communities to reimagine wellness through youth-led initiatives. Four schools were selected to receive $15,000 each in funding to launch innovative projects aimed at strengthening student and staff health.
The ELEVATE Health Grant is led by Montefiore Einstein’s Office of Community Affairs, in partnership with Montefiore’s School Health Program and the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI). High schools that are part of Montefiore’s School Health Program were invited to apply, and four were selected following a comprehensive review by a committee chaired by Montefiore Einstein President and CEO Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D.
Rooted in Montefiore Einstein’s mission to advance health equity and strengthen communities, the ELEVATE Health Grant underscores the institution’s belief that true wellness begins long before a hospital visit. By investing directly in schools, Montefiore Einstein is extending its vision of care beyond clinic walls to empower students, families, and educators as co-creators of healthier futures.
Meet the 2025 ELEVATE Grantees
- Pelham Lab High School will launch Hack Your Health: Monthly Wellness Challenge Series, embedding health-focused activities into daily advisory sessions. Students will create sleep toolkits, gratitude walls, and movement games while showcasing solutions at a year-end Health Innovation Expo. The program will reach over 200 students and 40 staff, equipping every student with concrete strategies for managing stress, improving nutrition, and building lifelong healthy habits.
“This grant gives our students real power to shape the culture of wellness here,” said Jason Wagner, Principal at Pelham Lab High School. “They’re designing solutions that matter to them, and that energy is going to ripple through our entire school community.”
- Arturo A. Schomburg Satellite Academy will establish a long-awaited fitness center to give students access to treadmills, rowing machines, and wellness classes. The grant will also fund student stipends for peer training and wellness sessions with Montefiore clinicians. For a community where 81% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and many lack access to safe recreation, this initiative will transform both physical health and self-esteem.
“For years we’ve wanted a true fitness space for our kids, and we’ve pieced together what we could,” said Marsha Vernon, Principal at Arturo A. Schomburg Satellite Academy. “ELEVATE finally makes it possible to give our students the healthy outlet and opportunities they deserve.”
- Westchester Square Academy will address a critical but often overlooked barrier to wellness: access to basic hygiene products. The school will create a discreet hygiene hub supplying soap, toothpaste, feminine products, and more, ensuring no student has to miss class or face stigma due to lack of resources. Student leaders will run distribution as part of a work-based learning program, combining dignity, equity, and real-world leadership experience.
“Personal hygiene should never be an obstacle that affects a student’s ability to engage in the classroom. Every student should have access to basic hygiene products in schools to sustain a sense of well-being,” said Marques Rich, Principal at Westchester Square Academy. “This grant eliminates personal hygiene as a barrier to success in the classroom and social settings.
- Women’s Academy of Excellence will launch a student-led Wellness Ambassadors Program, offering bilingual workshops for families, movement classes, and culturally relevant wellness events such as the Spring into Health Symposium. Designed to address gaps in emotional resilience among ELL and marginalized students, the initiative will engage all 185 students and embed a culture of wellness across academics and student leadership.
“At the Women’s Academy of Excellence, wellness is more than an activity—it’s a way of living our LEADS values,” said Dr. Florlilinda Sol Cruz, Principal at Women’s Academy of Excellence. “Through the student-led Wellness Ambassadors Program, our young women are showing Leadership by guiding peers, Empowerment through voice and choice, Academic Excellence by connecting health to learning, Dedication through consistent engagement, and Sisterhood by building a community that cares for one another. Together, they are redefining what it means to thrive—in school and in life.”
The ELEVATE Health Grant is envisioned as a pilot initiative, with the potential to become an annual program supporting additional schools in the Bronx. Each funded project reflects the grant’s pillars of Empowerment, Learning, Engagement, Vision, Aspiration, Transformation, and Excellence with the ultimate goal of fostering sustainable, student-driven change.
“ELEVATE is about meeting students where they are and investing in their ideas for healthier schools,” said Marcos Crespo, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Montefiore Einstein. “It’s not just about responding to needs in the moment, but about building the kind of environments where young people can thrive for years to come.”
“As chair of the education committee in the New York State Assembly, I am grateful to Montefiore Einstein for developing and extending these innovative ELEVATE health grants that empower our students and staff to lead the way in improving wellness and academic achievement,” said Assembly Member Michael Benedetto. “These investments and the ingenuity of our students can surely make a positive impact in achieving health equity and outcomes for our great Borough of the Bronx.”
“This initiative shows the power of collaboration when schools, health partners, community organizations, and students come together around a shared vision,” said Dr. Meisha Porter, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for Educational Innovation. “Through ELEVATE, we’re seeing students lead with creativity, schools lifting them up, and communities benefiting from their leadership.”
“Our work in schools has always been about more than check-ups or screenings; it’s about creating healthy school communities for students to flourish,” said Rosy Chhabra, PsyD, Sr. Director at Montefiore Einstein’s School Health Program. “ELEVATE will give young people the chance to take ownership of their health and turn everyday challenges into lasting solutions.”
About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems. It is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley. It comprises ten hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and over two hundred outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information, please visit montefiore.org. Follow us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or view us on Facebook and YouTube.
