To successfully implement wellness initiatives, schools need to adopt effective strategies that engage students, educators, and parents. By fostering a positive school environment, wellness programs contribute not only to academic success but also to the overall satisfaction and well-being of all those involved in the educational process. The impact of wellness programs extends beyond academic realms, fostering a positive and thriving school community. The program was phased out when the state transitioned to local-control funding for schools, although a handful of districts maintained their programs even after state support ended.
- Schools that participated in the interview did not differ from contacted, nonparticipating schools based on FARMs rate and race/ethnicity.
- Physical activity is vital for maintaining a healthy body and mind.
- Wellness teams were asked to report the degree to which they adhered to the five quality elements established to guide schools (see Table 3).
Life Skills and Wellness Programs for Students Help Accelerate Learning and Create Effective Learning Environments
In 2015, gambling in the first Orange County School, 54 fifth graders participated, and all received the intervention. Almost all (97%–99%) District of Columbia participants were non-Hispanic black, and 100% of the school population qualified for free and reduced-price lunch. Weekly intervention session consisted of these 4 components; however, the order of eating lunch and active play differed per location.
Model Wellness Policy
School personnel need to foster partnerships to ensure that activities, lessons and initiatives are coordinated to maximize the success of a school-wide health and wellness program. Coordination is a key ingredient to successfully promoting a comprehensive approach to health and wellness in schools. As ‘observational’ learning is a powerful and influential form of learning, all teachers share professional responsibility for portraying personal behaviors that mirror and reinforce positive health and wellness behaviors for students. Also, all teachers are constantly on display in front of their students and have a unique opportunity to role model positive health and wellness behaviors. All teachers need to ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will lead to positive health and wellness lifestyles. It assists students in developing and demonstrating increasingly sophisticated health and wellness related knowledge, skills and attitudes.
For the past several years, we have funded individual school-based health clinics in many of the regions in which it operates, including partnerships with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health that have fostered growth of school-based health clinics noted in the California Healthline piece. The piece spotlighted a growing network of school-based clinics in the San Diego City Heights neighborhood and quoted Steven Eldred of The California Endowment on how these clinics are “establishing a whole system of care… Schools become a point of entry to a comprehensive safety net of services.” When young people are educated in supportive spaces, they have the best opportunities to realize their full potential as students and citizens. The Wellness Together Conference is a curated experience to connect, equip, & inspire the best minds in education & mental health for meaningful impact. “We truly value our on-campus clinicians from Wellness Together – they park in our lots, walk our hallways, and experience the school day alongside our students.”
It is widely accepted that CSH supports student learning, while simultaneously addressing school health and wellness in a planned, integrated and holistic manner (Berg et al., 2017). One of the most effective ways to impact health and wellness behaviors in students is through comprehensive programming (Joint Consortium for School Health, 2010). Healthcare organizations that invest in school-based wellness today are not only supporting healthier kids, they are laying the foundation for healthier, more resilient communities tomorrow. Our program offers measurable improvements in movement, mindfulness, and emotional wellness by providing engaging, research-backed activities designed to support children’s physical health, focus, and emotional regulation.
