Comprehensive School Wellness Program

1801 Grant Strategies  

ADE works along three strategies to provide 1801 grant activities: infrastructure development, professional development, and technical assistance.

Infrastructure Development works to create a health-aware infrastructure among all regions of Arizona to support, assess, and develop health-promoting best practices and strategies that improve physical activity, nutrition, and the management of chronic conditions in schools. This directly enhances a student's social, emotional, and physical well-being. To do this, the CSW Program encourages schools to utilize the School Health Index, to assess and create supportive school environments.  In addition, Local School Wellness Policy guides local education agencies and school districts to create supportive school nutrition and physical activity environments. 

Professional Development activities promote school health by offering continuing education on important health topics. ADE delivers and partners with state agencies and local organizations to implement strategies that promote a healthy learning environment. In addition, ADE spreads awareness of the opportunities available to out-of-school health staff and officials.  Through professional development activities, ADE utilizes the WSCC model to develop training that utilizes school health tools and resources, while highlighting the connections between school health and academic achievement.

Technical Assistance is provided to all schools, districts, and LEAs across the state, free of charge. Our team works with school leaders to support and provide guidance on the health and wellness needs of their staff, students, and community through the development of CSW activities.

Complete the online Technical Assistance Request form and our team will contact you!

Technical Assistance Request

 1801 Grant Cross-Collaboration 

To effectively work throughout the state, ADE works alongside internal state partners and external community partners to provide support.  

1. ADE’s Title IVA Safe and Healthy Students Program aims to provide support to schools and local education agencies (LEAs) so that every student can experience a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment through a focus on physical and mental health, and safety. 
2. The 1801 grant works in conjunction with Arizona school nurses and health staff in efforts to manage the prevalence of chronic disease in schools. Please visit the School Nursing and Health Staff webpage for more information on supporting health office staff and students managing their own chronic conditions. 
3. ADE holds a collaborative partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) which provides nutrition and physical activity support through AZ Health Zone.  AZ Health Zone focuses on supporting communities across Arizona to make healthy changes in homes and neighborhoods, both within the school and the home.

 Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model  

This grant focuses its strategies and activities within the context of the WSCC model. The WSCC model has 10 student-centered components: health education; physical education and physical activity; nutrition environment and services; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; social and emotional climate; physical environment; employee wellness; family engagement; and community involvement. Schools, health agencies, parents, and communities share a common goal of supporting the health and academic achievement of children and adolescents.  Through this model, districts and schools are encouraged to re-think and re-structure the way they approach learning and health by systematically focusing on the whole child. Through this model, there is a holistic emphasis placed on learning and health in the context of the local school and community.  

WSCC Model.png

Examples of real-world application of the WSCC Model incorporated into the school environment:

Integrating Physical Education and Physical Activity Across the WSCC Framework

Integrating Nutrition Across the WSCC Framework

Integrating School Health Services Across the WSCC Framework

Integrating Out of School Time Across the WSCC Framework

 CDC Healthy Schools 

CDC Healthy Schools works with states, school systems, communities, and national partners to prevent chronic disease and promote the health and well-being of children and adolescents in schools. CDC Healthy Schools supports state education agencies (SEAs) in the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies to prevent and manage chronic health conditions prevalent in student populations.

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The CDC Healthy Schools website provides many resources that can be of use to schools across Arizona. 

Local Wellness Policy:  Local School Wellness Policy | Healthy Schools | CDC

School Health Guidelines: School Health Guidelines | Healthy Schools | CDC

School Health Index: School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (cdc.gov)

School Nutrition: School Nutrition Environment | Healthy Schools | CDC

Video Training: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Guide for Schools (cdc.gov)

Recess Planning in Schools: Recess Planning in Schools: A Guide to Putting Strategies for Recess into Practice (cdc.gov)

Out of School Time: Out of School Time (cdc.gov)

Chronic Health Conditions: Chronic Health Conditions in School Settings (cdc.gov)

School Health Services: School Health Services | Healthy Schools | CDC

Parents for Healthy Schools:  Parents for Healthy Schools | Healthy Schools | CDC

CDC’s Virtual Healthy School (VHS) is an interactive tool that shows schools how to support the health and academic achievement of students through the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model.

The CDC Virtual School can provide examples within the school environment that allow for students to improve their dietary and physical activity behaviors and manage their chronic health conditions. Click the link below to navigate through a virtual healthy school! 

Virtual Healthy School

 Arizona School Health & Wellness Coalition

AZ SH&W Coalition web pic.jpg

The Arizona School Health and Wellness Coalition (ASHWC) is a collaboration of key school health stakeholders, state and local organizations, community members, parents and individuals whose primary goal is to assist schools in creating healthy school environments and communities. ASHWC serves as an organized platform that provides a voice to those who are passionate about school health. It promotes the multi-disciplinary approach to school health outlined by the WSCC model.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]    

Website: https://www.azschoolhealth.com/

Contact the AZ School Health and Wellness Coalition

 Funding Opportunities 

The WSCC Federal Funding Guide intends to bring awareness to the funding opportunities for implementation of WSCC activities and to open the door for further exploration using federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) funds and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. 

• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Federal Funding Guide | Arizona Department of Education (azed.gov)

 Healthy Happenings Newsletter 

Each month, the CSW Program sends out a newsletter, Healthy Happenings. Healthy Happenings supports student health and academic achievement through disseminating information and resources for school nutrition, physical activity, and the management of chronic conditions. When reading the newsletter, LEAs are given the opportunity to: 

1. Learn about CSW’s monthly health theme and ways to incorporate health initiatives into the school environment. 
2. Stay informed on upcoming professional development opportunities related to nutrition, physical activity, and the management of chronic conditions. 
3. Become equipped with useful resources such as toolkits, templates, and infographics for the school use. 
4. See what schools across Arizona are doing and gain inspiration for your own school health initiatives through a School Spotlight!

Healthy Happenings Sign-Up

School Spotlight Form

Archived Healthy Happenings Newsletter

August Newsletter: August 30th, 2022

This month we highlighted students coming back to school. A new school year often brings a mix of emotions for educators and students alike- excitement, exhaustion, energy, anxiety, or perhaps all of the above! The back-to-school period presents a unique opportunity to promote students' health and well-being through fostering a supportive school environment. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them to establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Students thrive in a healthy school environment and healthy students are better learners. ADE’s CSW Program with the support of CDC Healthy Schools is dedicated to supporting schools in creating a healthy school environment for all students. Please view the full newsletter for more information! 

August 2022 Newsletter

September Newsletter: September 26th, 2022

October in Arizona brings an opportunity for change; the weather starts to cool and students and staff are eager to move their activities outdoors. Active recess plays an essential role in a child's academic success and boosts their physical, social, and emotional well-being. In addition, it allows for children to release energy and reduce stress to then improve classroom behavior. By including safe and structured outdoor active recess, schools have the opportunity to get creative and provide spaces for children to be physically active throughout the school day. Please view the full newsletter for more information! 

September 2022 Newsletter

October Newsletter: October 31st, 2022

November is American Diabetes Month. Diabetes affects thousands of school-age children nationwide and rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing among youth in the United States. Among school-aged children, type 1 diabetes is more common than type 2 diabetes. Younger children, including elementary school-age students, may need help with all aspects of diabetes care while middle school age- and high school-age students should be able to manage their diabetes themselves. Regardless of their age, there are times when all students who have diabetes need someone else to help them with their diabetes care. Developing a personalized Diabetes Management Plan can provide a student with the support they need to thrive at school. For more resources and support, read the full newsletter below!

October 2022 Newsletter

November Newsletter: November 28th, 2022

The upcoming holiday season provides a great opportunity to connect with family and friends, promote a healthy lifestyle, and create excitement around nutritious and active choices at home and at school. Planning celebrations that include activities and foods that are enjoyable and good for the body helps to encourage kids to build lifelong healthy habits. Healthy celebrations in and out of school support academic achievement, demonstrate a school commitment to improving student health, promote a healthy school and home environment, and create excitement about nutrition and physical activity. For more information on healthy celebrations and family engagement, read the full newsletter below!

November 2022 Newsletter

December 7th, 2022: Comprehensive Physical Activity Programs and the Integration of Social-Emotional Learning

On December 7th, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the Arizona Department of Education invites teachers, health educators, and school administrators to a free discussion on the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP). CSPAP is a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools use all opportunities for students to be physically active, meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. A CSPAP reflects strong coordination and synergy across all of the components: physical education as the foundation; physical activity before, during, and after school; staff involvement; and family and community engagement. This session will provide an overview of the CSPAP, including implementation strategies that include social-emotional learning and possible funding sources.

Register Here

View the Flyer

 February 8th, 2023: The Language of Health: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Messaging Part 1

The Comprehensive School Wellness Program, in collaboration with AZ Health Zone, is excited to host the four-part webinar series on Trauma-Informed Approaches. On February 8th, 2023, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 MST, join us for part three: The Language of Health: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Messaging. In this session, we will discuss different ways to talk about nutrition and health with students, families, and peers using the Language of Health Editorial Style Guide. The Language of Health is an effective, trauma-informed messaging tool that helps the user reframe messages in a positive and inclusive manner. Participants of this session will practice writing and communication skills using tips outlined in the first three sections of the guide including guiding principles for health communication, health, nutrition, and food. For more information, please click here. 

Register Here!

Webinar Series Flyer

 Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model Webinar

The Arizona Department of Education Comprehensive School Wellness Program hosted the University of Connecticut Collaboratory on School and Child Health for a discussion on the CDC's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. 

The WSCC model advocates for integration of child learning, health, and well-being efforts within schools and communities. In this presentation, we provided an overview of the WSCC model and its potential to support positive childhood development. We offered educators resources on how to implement this model because although the model advocates for integration across domains of child development, school efforts are often conducted in silos. Finally, shared a number of materials aimed to build educators’ knowledge of the WSCC model and to explore coordinated implementation of the WSCC model in their setting.

The webinar recording and slides can be viewed below. 

Webinar Recording

Webinar Slides

Webinar Recording Passcode:  F2X*Q?7y

Youth Substance Use in Arizona: Current Trends and Prevention Practices to Mitigate Risk

The ADE Comprehensive School Wellness Program hosted free virtual discussion on Youth Substance Use In Arizona on October 24, 2022 from 3:00-4:30 PM MST.