The School Health Systems Change Project at the State University of New York Cortland works to build the capacity of school health educators, school nurses, administrators, and others to create a school health system for New York that is efficient and effective. More importantly, the Project aims to foster healthy, health-literate and academically successful youth.
At the fourth Summer Institute, held on July 9, 2013, I joined educators from central and upstate New York to talk about what it takes to make that happen in a time of contracting budgets and heightened accountability.
Our morning session focused on how staff in school health programs, services, and curriculum can be active participants in the rapidly changing world of school system reform. With the links between heath status and academic achievement clear in areas like breakfast and behavioral health, the participants worked together to think about new messages for presenting the benefits of strong school health and nutrition services.
They then worked on other beneficial areas, such as physical education and physical activity. And they were full of great ideas! They talked about building stakeholder support and engaging parents and families as allies in making sure that schools supported the whole child. They also spent time brainstorming about how to ensure sustainability.
Two ideas emerged here. The first was to focus on RESULTS. By demonstrating that these programs and services make a difference, we can show their value to the community. The second was to focus on moving from the short-term of program to the sustainability of POLICY. Rather than depend on the occasional well-connected champion of a program or the whims of annual finances, attendees recognizes that good practices can be sustained through good local or state policy.
Beyond quality programs and services, a thoughtful school health system includes instruction. School health education can be supported by the National Health Education Standards (to which most states, including New York, align their standards). The educators and their allies examined the standards and looked at a range of opportunities for alignment as well as discussing the benefits to students of this integrated approach. I provided the participants received copies of NEA HIN’s newest teaching resources, Healthy Steps For Healthy Lives & Rx for Understanding.
By the end of our day, participants each developed a short-term action plan to implement aspects of the school health systems improvement in their districts.
And, once again, I had seen the passion and dedication educators bring—after all, they did all this on their summer vacation!
|
|