Healthier Schools Coalition

The Healthier Schools Coalition (HSC) is a statewide alliance of agencies and organizations committed to advancing the Healthier Schools - New Mexico Model of Coordinated School Health, symbolized by the yucca plant. The HSC was presented the National School Health Partnership Award by the Centers for Disease Control at its annual School Health Leadership conference in June, 1997. The HSC has four standing work groups: Advocacy, Evaluation, Marketing.and Training.

The Advocacy Work Group focuses on policy issues for healthier schools. In order to build advocacy for Healthier Schools, this Work Group provides awareness activities on the Healthier Schools Model which will lead to community mobilization for Healthier Schools. The overall goal is to increase the capacity and skills of advocates for the Healthier Schools concept so they may more effectively promote the development and implementation of a coordinated school health approach in the communities in which they work and live.

The Evaluation Work Group provides coordination of evaluation projects which support the New Mexico model for Healthier Schools. This work group looks at assessment of activities occurring under the separate components of Coordinate School Health as well as their interaction/integration. Some of these evaluation projects include: the Healthier Schools Model Sites, Healthier Kids Fund Demonstration Projects, the School-Based Health Centers, the School Mental Health Initiative, the state-level HIV education, and school health education.

The Marketing Work Group focuses on advancing the concept of Healthier Schools - the New Mexico model of coordinated school health in schools, households and communities. This work group is piloting a national business marketing campaign to enlist the support of businesses for Healthier Schools.

The Training Work Group focuses on the providing assistance in the training needs of coalition members and school staff for healthier schools issues. The Training Work Group assesses the training needs of HSC members in schools throughout the State.

Healthier Schools Forum

The Healthier Schools Forum, held in Socorro in 1995, brought together a diverse group of community individuals to determine key issues, strategies and outcomes in relation to implementing Coordinate School Health in New Mexico. The Report of the 1995 New Mexico Healthier Schools Planing Forum is available through the School Health Unit at the State Department of Education.

For Information on School Health, Contact:

New Mexico State Department of Education
School Health Unit
120 S. Federal Place, Room 206
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 827-6816

The School Health Unit provides leadership and coordination for school health initiatives in the State Department of Education (State Department of Education) and is responsible for intra-interagency collaboration to promote Coordinated School Health programs. The School Health Unit is committed to providing support for opportunities toward the goal of healthy students. The School Health Unit believes health and education must be highly valued by all in order for students to achieve their optimum potential.

New Mexico Department of Health
Office of School Health
Public Health Division
Runnels Building
1190 St. Francis Drive
P.O. Box 26110
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-6110
(505) 827-0061

The Office of School Health provides leadership and coordination for school health initiatives in the Department of Health and is responsible for interagency collaboration regarding school health issues. Management of contracts for the Healthier Schools Model Sites, the Healthier Kids Fund, School-Based Health Centers, the School Mental Health Initiative, technical assistance and evaluation is conducted through the office.

For questions, comments and to send mail:

hsc@healthierschools.org

Interested in becoming a member of the Healthier Schools Coalition (or even just getting on our mailing list)? Click here to go to the HSC membership form.

Click here to visit the Healthier Schools Announcement Page and Calendar of Events.

Better students make healthy communities.