School-Based Health
In 2008, the Foundation is launching a new Healthy Schools Initiative, committing a full-time director to provide leadership and guidance to participating schools. The initiative will offer technical assistance, training, facilitation, and incentives to schools to develop an environment that supports children’s development of life-long healthy lifestyle attitudes and behaviors.
In accordance with the Foundation’s commitment to funding research-based, proven strategies, the chosen basis for this new initiative is the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP), developed and promoted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. This program consists of eight inter-connected components that work together to help students establish life-long healthy habits:
· Physical Activity
· Nutrition
· Health Education
· Healthy School Environment
· Health Services
· Family/Community Involvement
· Health Promotion for Staff
· Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services
At this time, a specific request for proposals (RFP) is under development and will be issued later in 2008 for potential targeted pilot programs. Schools who have interest might best prepare to respond to this RFP by exploring the Coordinated School Health Program and its related implementation process (see link below). Those who have already begun the CSHP process might prepare by assessing their current progress and determining the type of support that best will help them move forward.
If you would like to be informed
when this RFP is issued, please send your contact information to the Healthy
Schools Initiative Director, Rhonda Meade, at
rmeade@welbornfdn.org.
Additional Links and Resources:
Coordinated School Health Program: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/CSHP/index.htm
Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn (National Association of State Boards of Education):
http://www.nasbe.org/HealthySchools/fithealthy.html
School Nutrition Association Model School Wellness Policies: http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=1075