Healthy School Communities is an outgrowth of work ASCD began in 1998 to link schools and community public health agencies in order to provide meaningful opportunities for students to create and participate in activities designed to improve the health of their communities.
ASCD's Health in Education Initiative, as it was originally known, focused on promoting systemic approaches to improving the health and well-being of students and staff and creating environments in which high-quality learning and teaching could occur.
In spring 2006, ASCD initiated Healthy School Communities. The effort provides opportunities for school communities in all parts of the world to network and share best practices. It includes a pilot study of school community partnerships that focus on health and learning as education best practice.
Healthy school communities
- Demonstrate the belief that successful learners are emotionally and physically healthy, knowledgeable, motivated, and engaged.
- Demonstrate best practice in leadership and instruction across the school.
- Create and sustain strong collaborations between the school and community institutions.
- Use evidence-based systems and policies to support the physical and emotional well-being of students and staff.
- Provide an environment in which students can practice what they learn about making healthy decisions and staff can practice and model healthy behaviors.
- Use data to continuously improve.
- Network with other school communities to share best practices.