Vermont School Health
School health programs at the Vermont Department of Health facilitate and promote the healthy growth and development of all school age children and youth attending both public and private schools throughout Vermont.
School liaisons are located in each of the department’s twelve district offices to provide information, consultation, technical assistance, training and coordination of programs and services to schools, parents and the community at large regarding school health programs and services. Please direct inquiries to the school liaison in your area.
Coordinated School Health in Vermont
The Centers for Disease Control promotes the establishment of the Coordinated School Health model in schools as a strategy to improve students' health and thereby their capacity to learn. Education and health are indisputably linked.
While schools cannot address all of children's health needs, their window of opportunity to prevent or reduce risky health behaviors and to reduce the impact of risk factors among students is vast.
Key to success is a coordinated and comprehensive approach which targets:
- risk factors to health and learning.
- incorporates multiple strategies for prevention and education about health.
- gains support from students, parents, friends and adults within the community.
- employs a program planning process involving a wide variety of stakeholders.
Vermont's Coordinated School Health model consists of nine components
- Promote learning and adopting healthy behaviors.
- Model and encourage the achievement of life-long physical fitness.
- Enhance school health services.
- Encourage healthful nutrition.
- Support social emotional well-being.
- Create positive learning environments.
- Promote faculty and staff wellness.
- Develop and support programs for children and youth.
- Connect school, parents and community.