Comprehensive School Health Education

Comprehensive School Health Education, taught by a certified health education teacher, is the school’s instructional program that provides the opportunity for all students to understand and practice concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.

• Access to valid health information and health promotion products and services
• The practice of health enhancing behaviors and reduction of health risks
• The ability to analyze the influence of culture, media, technology, and other factors on health
• The use of interpersonal communication skills to enhance health
• The use of goal setting and decision making skills
• Advocacy for personal, family, and community health.

Goal: Develop students’ commitment to life-long health through a school/community which values and promotes interdisciplinary, sequential, skill-based health education.

Successfully Teaching Middle School Health
The new and improved Manual is packed with exciting teaching ideas and student activities. The Manual contains six step lesson plans for each 6th, 7th, and 8th grade health objective in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Healthful Living Edcuation. A new chapter on health related fitness has been added along with engaging student handouts, and black line masters. A CD is packaged with the Manual which allows teachers the flexibility to personalize the lessons, adapt lessons to meet individual classroom needs, and update statistics and materials as needed. Interactive games and creative PowerPoint presentations are also available on the CD which will enhance instruction and student learning.

Healthful Living Curriculum
Today, health status is determined more by one’s own behaviors than by advances in medical technology, availability of health services, or other factors; and research demonstrates education in schools can make a difference in the health-related behaviors of students.

The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that contribute to a healthful lifestyle and improved quality of life for all students. The Healthful Living Education curriculum, when fully integrated, supports and reinforces the goals and objectives of its two major components health and physical education. When the concepts of these two areas are integrated, learning is enhanced to its maximum.

 NC Institute of Medicine’s Comprehensive Child Health Plan

Improving school  health education is one of the top priorities established in the Comprehensive Child Health Plan.  Comprehensive Child Health Plan: 2000-2005. Task Force Report to the North Carolina Department and Human Services. Executive Summary. May 2000. 
Download pdf version.  Download Executive Summary. 

Chartered in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NC•IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves as a non-political source of analysis and advice on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population.  

CDC Guidelines for School Health Programs

National guidelines for school health programs were developed on the basis of an exhaustive review of published research and input from academic experts and national, federal, and voluntary organizations interested in child and adolescent health. The guidelines include specific recommendations to help states, districts, and schools implement health programs and policies that have been found to be most effective in promoting healthy behaviors among youth. Recommendations cover topics such as policy development, curriculum development and selection, instructional strategies, staff training, family and community involvement, evaluation, and linkages between different components of the coordinated school health program. School Health Program Guidelines are currently available on the following topics.

Guidelines to Prevent Unintentional Injuries and Violence

Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity

Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating

Guidelines to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction

Guidelines for Effective School Health Education 
To Prevent the Spread of AIDS

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NC Association for the Advancement of Health Education
Application for Mini Grants $$$$$

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