College of Education and Health Professions Faculty Earn Further Support for Rural Health Initiatives

Two projects from College of Education and Health Professions faculty members Anup K C and Anqi Deng were selected for funding under the Healthy Eating, Active Recreation and Transformation (HEART) initiative of the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration selected the U of A for funding through the HEART initiative, which supports community-based efforts to improve health outcomes and access to preventive care through nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease management. 

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently announced the second round of awards in a press release. Two faculty members in the college previously received funding under the Telehealth, Health-Monitoring and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative to improve healthcare access by increasing telehealth readiness in rural Arkansas.

The RHTP is designed to strengthen rural health systems so families can receive care close to home while supporting rural providers, local communities and healthier lifestyles. 

K C, an assistant professor of recreation and sport management, received more than $117,000 to lead the Mobilizing Opportunities for Vital Exercise (MOVE) project in Yellville and Marion County. 

The action research project will assess residents' outdoor recreation and physical activity needs, barriers and motivations through surveys, interviews and discussions. The project will also improve outdoor recreation and physical activity facilities, establish school-based awareness programs and launch a 12-week physical activity pilot program. 

"Receiving a Year 1 HEART grant provides me with an opportunity to conduct an action research project and build meaningful partnerships with local communities and organizations," K C said. "This project will lay the foundation for long-term collaboration with local partners and communities, with or without external funding."

K C said he plans to develop a Year 2 proposal to upgrade outdoor recreation and physical activity programs and facilities and to expand the project to other cities in Marion County to promote participation in physical activity and outdoor recreation more broadly. 

"Local partners in Marion County have expressed interest in addressing these issues, so we are starting with the city of Yellville," he said.

Complementing K C's community-based work, Deng's project will bring physical activity programming directly to rural schools and afterschool programs.  

Deng, an assistant professor of exercise science, received nearly $100,000 to lead Rural PLAY: Building Children's Physical Literacy and Physical Activity. The program is designed for elementary-age children in rural Arkansas and will be delivered through afterschool programs or during recess and the school day. 

Afterschool staff and teachers will complete a two-day training before delivering a 12-week curriculum of physical activities and lessons twice a week, with follow-up support throughout. Training and baseline measurements are planned for early 2027, and the program is scheduled to begin in spring 2027.

U of A research assistants will co-lead sessions with teachers and afterschool staff, measuring children's physical activity, fitness, motivation and confidence before and after the program to evaluate its impact. 

"It gives our undergraduate students hands-on experience working with rural communities," Deng said.

Rural PLAY builds on Deng's earlier work in Arkansas afterschool programs, which showed that children are more likely to engage in physical activity when they enjoy it, feel confident in their skills and receive encouragement from friends and supportive adults. 

She said the work also highlighted the important role of teachers and afterschool staff, who can create active and supportive environments but often receive little training to do so, particularly in rural communities. Rural PLAY is designed to give them practical tools and guidance.  

"As the program grows, we also hope to add a health initiative for afterschool staff and teachers, because adults who feel healthy and supported are better able to create positive, active environments for children," Deng said. "Our long-term goal is for every child in rural Arkansas to have the chance to build a lifelong, joyful relationship with physical activity and for the adults who support them to thrive as well."

Combined with the previous round of RHTP grants, this funding completes the distribution of $208 million awarded to Arkansas this year.

"These projects will help Arkansans live healthier lives and build a stronger rural health care system for generations to come," Gov. Sanders said.