Resources
Resources — School, Family, and Community
Partnerships for Health
An Action for Healthy Kids Report: Parents' Views on School Wellness Practices
In order to learn the views that parents currently have on the issues of nutrition and physical activity in schools, as well as the changes parents believe are most needed in schools, Action for Healthy Kids conducted a national survey with parents. The survey of parents of school-aged children found a significant gap between what parents believe is happening and what is actually happening in terms of nutrition and physical activity in America’s schools.
Action Steps for Implementing Family and Community Involvement in School Health
School-community partnerships have contributed to the success of coordinated school health programs across the country. When parents are involved, students achieve more, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’ education level. The school, the family, and the community each has its own unique resources; each can reach students in ways the others cannot; and each influences young people’s behaviors in different ways. This web page created by the Education Development Consortium (EDC), offers action steps for families, communities and schools in creating and sustaining family and community involvement into a Coordinated School Health Program.
Building Successful Partnerships -- A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs
This book serves as a blueprint for how to implement the National Parent/Family Involvement Standards which are designed to provide the foundation for developing a quality parent involvement programs. It focuses on ways to implement the six national Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs: communicating, parenting, student learning, volunteering, school decision making and advocacy, and collaborating with the community.
Changing the Scene-Improving the School Nutrition Environment
Changing the Scene - Improving the School Nutrition Environment was created by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS). This tool kit is designed to help parents, teachers, school administrators, school foodservice professionals, and the community promote healthy eating and physical activity by addressing nutrition environment issues in schools. This resource addresses the entire school nutrition environment from a commitment to nutrition and physical activity, pleasant eating experiences, quality school meals, other healthy food options, nutrition education and marketing the issue to the public. This kit can help local people take action to improve their school's nutrition environment. The kit includes: a guide to local action with, ideas on how to strengthen school nutrition environment, and a variety of resource materials. Specific items included in the kit are a local action guide, PowerPoint presentation on the importance of nutrition in schools, transparencies and presenter’s notes, and resources from collaborating organizations, a video, brochures, and a CD-ROM.
DHPE’s School Health Employee Wellness Guide
School Employee Wellness: A Guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation's Schools is a comprehensive guide developed by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education. The guide shows that employee wellness programs can 1) promote the health and reduce health risk behaviors of employees, and 2) identify and correct conditions in the workplace that can compromise the health of school employees, reduce their levels of productivity, impede student success, and contribute to escalating health care costs. Other potential benefits of school employee wellness programs include: decreased employee absenteeism; fewer work-related injuries; fewer worker compensation and disability claims; attractiveness to prospective employees; positive community image; increased motivation to teach about health; increased motivation to practice healthy behaviors; and healthy role models for students.
Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People: Guidelines for School and Community Programs: March 07, 1997/46(RR-6);1-36
These guidelines summarize recommendations for encouraging physical activity among young people so that they will continue to engage in physical activity in adulthood and obtain the benefits of physical activity throughout life. These guidelines were developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with experts from universities and from national, federal, and voluntary agencies and organizations. They are based on an in-depth review of research, theory, and current practice in physical education, exercise science, health education, and public health. The guidelines include the following: • recommendations about 10 aspects of school and community programs to promote lifelong physical activity among young people • policies that promote enjoyable, lifelong physical activity; physical and social environments that encourage and enable physical activity • physical education curricula and instruction • health education curricula and instruction • extracurricular physical activity programs that meet the needs and interests of students • involvement of parents and guardians in physical activity instruction and programs for young people • personnel training • health services for children and adolescents • developmentally appropriate community sports and recreation programs that are attractive to young people • regular evaluation of physical activity instruction, programs, and facilities.
National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs: An Implementation Guide for School Communities
This book is a tool that can facilitate discussion, planning, and assessment of parent/family involvement programs. Schools from across the country provide examples of how they implement each of the six standards. A set of assessment questions is included as a guide for school communities to identify strengths and weaknesses in their programs.
PTA's Healthy Lifestyles at Home and School
The National Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) has created a series of fact sheets for PTA leaders, parents, students, school officials, and community members. There were created to assist those committed to making the health and wellness of our homes, schools, and communities a top priority. Fact sheets cover topics such as diabetes, childhood obesity, nutrition, and physical activity. Other fact sheets provide information on how parents can: become involved in school wellness policies; advocate for school environments that support healthy diets; assess how a school is doing to support student nutrition, create nutrition focused family/school events and meetings; and find helpful web based resources for further information on how to support healthy eating in school and home. Additional fact sheets are provided that offer on: the new food pyramid; healthy eating tips; ideas for family fitness; and strategies that PTAs can use to promote physical activity in schools.
A Parent's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
A Parent's Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity was developed by the Preventive Medicine Institute/Strang Cancer Prevention Center’s Healthy Children Healthy Futures Program. This resource stresses the importance of parents serving as role models to their children by choosing healthy foods and exercising regularly. It offers parents helpful suggestions in creating a home environment that is supportive of healthy eating and physical activity. This 102 page guide includes: 8 Habits of Healthy Kids, fun and healthy recipes, a list of healthy foods from each food group.
For Parents: Healthy Eating at School
Increased rates of obesity and diabetes among young children have heightened parents' concerns about the quality of food available to their children through school breakfast and lunch programs. This webpage created by The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, offers questions that parents can ask to a school board member, principal, or their child to help them assess school nutrition programs and policies. > Return to Top |
