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Healthy Schools Initiative

South Carolina Healthy Schools is a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Department of Education and the SC Department of Health and Control, funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC DASH). This initiative focuses on improving the culture and climate of schools and the academic achievement of children and adolescents by promoting strategies, programs and services that encourage positive healthful behaviors. A healthy school and community are committed and aware of the importance of all aspects of good health and the connection health has with one’s ability to learn and be productive. A healthy school is a vital part of a healthy community. Teachers, principals, and superintendents work with students, parents, community health and human service agencies, other state agencies, and businesses to create a safe, supportive environment for students to learn healthy lifestyles, healthy choices, healthy habits, and be academically successful.

Activities of this initiative include:

• Presentation of formal awards to schools that achieve healthy school status.
• Facilitation, coordination and provision of training and technical assistance regarding school health.
• Bridging the gaps between schools and health-related agencies and organizations.
• Promotion of the use of innovative strategies to improve school nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use prevention strategies to improve student health.

Healthy Schools support and promote an eight-component model that involves schools and communities working together to: improve health and physical education and physical activity; social and emotional and psychological health; nutritional choices and health services; staff wellness and health promotion; and a healthy and safe environment for students and staff. This model was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and addresses the most serious risk behaviors that affect our youth and the citizens of our state. This effort advocates for school, parent, and community involvement and collaboration around local child and adolescent health issues that place our children at risk for school failure, poor socialization, disability, poor health outcomes and chronic diseases later in life. We know that health risk behaviors that are established during early childhood and adolescence persist into adulthood. These behaviors are interrelated, and contribute simultaneously to poor health, education and social adjustment, outcomes, and most importantly - ARE PREVENTABLE.

THE EIGHT COMPONENTS OF A HEALTHY SCHOOL

	Supports a total learning experience in the building and the surrounding area that promotes physical, emotional, psychological and environmental safety, aesthetics, personal growth and development, healthy interpersonal relationships, and wellness.
	A planned, sequential, K-12 curriculum that addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health and learning; designed to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health related risk behaviors. It allows students to develop and demonstrate increased health related knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices. Qualified, trained teachers provide health education.
	A planned, sequential K-12 curriculum that provides cognitive content and learning experiences in a variety of activity areas such as basic movement skills; physical fitness; rhythms and dance; games; team, dual, and individual sports; tumbling and gymnastics; and aquatics. Quality physical education should promote, through a variety of planned physical activities, each student's optimum physical, mental, emotional, and social development, and should promote activities and sports that all students enjoy and can pursue throughout their lives. Qualified, trained teachers teach Physical Education.
	Access to a variety of nutritious and appealing meals that accommodate the health and nutrition needs of all students. School nutrition programs reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria to achieve nutrition integrity. The school nutrition services offer students a learning laboratory for classroom nutrition and health education, and serve as a resource for linkages with nutrition-related community services. Qualified child nutrition professionals provide these services.
	An integrated school, parent, and community approach for enhancing the health and well-being of students. School health advisory councils, coalitions, and broad based constituencies for school health can build support for school health program efforts. Schools actively solicit parent involvement and engage community resources and services to respond more effectively to the health-related needs of students.
	Services provided for students to appraise, protect, and promote health. These services are designed to ensure access or referral to primary health care services or both, foster appropriate use of primary health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, provide emergency care for illness or injury, promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment, and provide educational and counseling opportunities for promoting and maintaining individual, family, and community health. Qualified professionals such as physicians, nurses, dentists, and other allied health personnel provide these services.
	Services provided to improve students' mental, emotional, and social health. These services include individual and group assessments, interventions, and referrals. Organizational assessment and consultation skills of counselors and psychologists contribute not only to the health of students but also to the health of the school environment. Professionals such as certified school counselors, psychologists, and social workers provide these services.
	Opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education and health-related fitness activities. These opportunities encourage school staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and a greater personal commitment to the school's overall coordinated health program. This personal commitment often transfers into greater commitment to the health of students and creates positive role modeling. Health promotion activities have improved productivity, decreased absenteeism, and reduced health insurance costs.