College of Health Sciences

Center for Healthy Schools

Bethann Cinelli, D.Ed
211 Sturzebecker HSC
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-2931
bcinelli@wcupa.edu


Coordinated School Health Programs and Healthy School Communities

Coordinated School Health Programs

Coordinated School Health Programs is a strategy recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for improving student health and learning.  A complete description of the Coordinated School Health Program, student health risk behaviors, the link between health and learning is found at the link below:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/index.htm

 

School Health Councils

School Health Councils are a team approach for creating healthy school communities which provide students with consistent health messages essential for promoting healthy behaviors and supporting learning and academic success.  The role, responsibilities and strategies of a school health council is located at the link below:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/schools.htm

 

Health and Learning

Health and learning are inextricably intertwined.  Health problems and risk behaviors of: inadequate diet, physical inactivity, drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, intentional and unintentional injuries, and sexual behaviors which result in HIV / AIDS, STDs, and unintended pregnancy significantly compromise student health, learning, and overall academic achievement.  Research in the fields of education and health present a compelling case for the causal role that health plays in closing the education achievement gap. The nation’s schools are committed to helping all children succeed.  Yet, every school day children and adolescents come to school with physical, mental, emotional, and social health issues which prevent them from fully participating in and benefiting from the efforts of school administrators and teachers to help every child learn and achieve.  Health promoting behaviors improve health, increase the likelihood of academic success, and support and promote healthy families and communities.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention link below provides compelling research to support efforts to create healthy school communities for academic success.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm