Comprehensive School Health (CSH) is an internationally recognized, evidence-based approach for building healthy school communities. It is widely acknowledged that healthy students are better prepared to learn, and that education is a key determinant of health and well-being. CSH helps to improve educational outcomes and enables schools to create healthy school environments that promote and support well-being. It involves collaboration with the whole school community, including administrators, educators, families, students, and community partners. When all these key stakeholders are engaged through partnership and collaboration, using this best practice approach can create long-lasting, sustainable change.
We offer:
School Health nurses work with schools using a Comprehensive School Health-Healthy Schools process.
We can share resources, tips and ideas to support your school’s health-related goals, facilitate referrals to health unit services and help make connections to other health unit and community supports and resources.
Our team of Public Health Nurses and Registered Dietitians also work together with local school boards and schools to:
- consult on the development of board and/or school improvement plans
- consult on the development and/or implementation of health policies
- participate on Healthy Schools (and other) committees
- engage students, staff, parents as change-makers
- identify health-related strengths, assess and prioritize needs, and use best practice approaches to address these needs
- plan and implement health promotion strategies and activities to address a variety of topics (e.g., mental health promotion, healthy eating, physical activity, etc.)
- assist with writing funding applications to support health and well-being initiatives
- provide curriculum consultation and support
- promote and support asset-based approaches and initiatives (e.g., Developmental Assets)
- promote opportunities for skill development for staff and students
- facilitate connections to other health unit or community resources, programs and services .