What is Coordinated School Health Program?

A Coordinated School Health program provides

a system designed to address the needs of the
whole child by effectively connecting health
with education. This coordinated approach
provides the framework for families,
communities, and schools to work together to
improve students’ health and capacity to learn.
Why is Coordinated School Health Program is
important?
A coordinated approach to school
health effectively aligns health and
education efforts and leads to improved
physical, mental and developmental
outcomes for students.
The 8 components of Coordinated School
Health Program
1. Healthy and Safe School Environment - A healthy and
safe school environment includes the physical and aesthetic
surroundings and the psychosocial climate and culture of
the school.
2. Health Education - Health education provides students
with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes,
and skills necessary for making health-promoting
decisions, achieving health literacy, adopting health-
enhancing behaviors, and promoting the health of others.
3. Physical Education - Physical education is a
school-based instructional opportunity for
st u d e n t s t o ga i n t h e n e c e s s a r y s k i l l s a n d
knowledge for lifelong participation in physical
activity.
4. Nutrition Services - Schools should provide
access to a variety of nutritious and appealing
meals that accommodate the health and
nutrition needs of all students.
5. Health Services - 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
co m m u n i ca b l e d i s e a s e a n d o t h e r h e a l t h
problems.
6. Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services -
These services are provided to improve students’
mental, emotional, and social health and include
individual and group assessments, interventions,
and referrals.
7. Health Promotion for staff - Schools can provide
opportunities for school staff members to improve
their health status through activities such as health
assessments, health education, and health-related
fitness activities
8. Family and Community Involvement - Schools
actively solicit parent involvement and engage
community resources and services to respond
more effectively to the health-related needs of
students.
The benefits of CSHP among students:
1. Reduce absenteeism and classroom behavior
problems.
2. Address risky youth behaviors such as lack of
physical activity, poor diet, early sexual activity,
and tobacco use.
3. Improve classroom performance.
4. Better prepare students to be
productive members of their communities.
5. Make schools more engaging.
6. Establish good life-long healthy practices.
7. Address staff wellness needs.
What is Health Educator?
- A health educator is someone who teaches people how to
incorporate positive and healthy habits into their lives. They
develop programs and materials that promote wellness, and
that encourage children and adults to make healthy
decisions.
- Health educators work in a variety of settings, including
schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations, government,
doctors’ offices, private businesses, and colleges.
Why Health Educator is important?
- Health educators play a vital role within the healthcare
system by providing individuals and communities with
recommendations on how to make healthy choices.
- Giving nutritional advice or cautioning against
unhealthy activities, health educators who have a
bachelor's degree in public health aid in the prevention
of illnesses and chronic diseases in the communities
they serve.
Health Educator Resposibilities:
1. Assess Needs, Resources, Capacity
for Health Education/Promotion
2. Plan Health Education/Promotion
3. Implement Health
Education/Promotion
4. Conduct Evaluation and Research Related to
Health Education/Promotion
5. Administer and Manage Health
Education/Promotion
6. Serve as a Health Education/Promotion
Resource Person
7. Communicate, Promote, and Advocate for
Health, Health Education/Promotion, and the
Profession
Health Educator Qualities:
1. Education - Public health educators must be knowledgeable
about what they teach. In order to demonstrate the need for
improved healthcare and healthier living, the public health
educator must be believable and have the ability to present data,
statistics and information to the public.
2. Excellent Communication Skills - Good communication skills are
necessary for any leadership positions but are especially needed
by public health educators.
3. Knowledge of Health Sciences - Health educators must have
a thorough understanding of how health science works so they
can relay it successfully to the public.
4. Cultural Competency - A successful public health educator
must have not just a cultural competency but a good
understanding and comprehension of the various cultures.
5. Understanding of Health Issues and Ability to Access
Healthcare - The public health educator meets with a variety of
people throughout the community.