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March 1, 2011
Vol. 53
No. 3

SHE Helps Keep Kids Healthy

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      Schools have a wide range of responsibilities when it comes to providing for students. Educators must ensure students learn the curricula as well as skills for communication, life, and thinking to prepare them for success after graduation. In addition to these basic expectations, educators play a role in students' health, well-being, and safety, which are intertwined with all other aspects of education.
      Across Europe, educators tap into diverse programs to create healthy school environments and promote students' health and wellness. The Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Network brings together many of these programs, offering a wide range of resources and assistance to schools in 43 countries. The network, which is coordinated by the Netherlands Institute for Health Promotion (NIGZ), brings together experts from across Europe to coordinate with educators and offer knowledge and tools that promote student health. Participating countries have national coordinators to help distribute all the expertise and resources to schools.
      SHE, formerly known as the European Network of Health Promoting Schools, was founded in 1994 by the World Health Organization, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission to serve as the platform for health promotion in schools across Europe. Recently, the SHE Research Group was added to the network to examine what works in healthy schools. The group consists of 51 researchers from 33 countries.
      "Health and education are inextricably linked, and essentially both are in the same business of nurturing and developing the potential of children and young people," says Ann Lee, a senior adviser at NIGZ. "To argue that schools are only for education ignores a necessary prerequisite for education—health—and I feel this is a rather outdated view."
      Lee notes that health is extremely important for students to succeed in life and to be able to learn. She says this is especially true in disadvantaged areas, where student health tends to be lower and presents numerous problems for educators teaching in these areas. SHE offers these educators the tools and assistance needed to help improve the situation in impoverished schools.
      One way SHE is helping schools is through a project known as Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools (HEPS). This project is funded by the European Agency for Health and Consumers with a goal of reducing student obesity through physical activity and healthy eating. Through HEPS, coordinators help implement programs and initiatives to reduce obesity on the national, regional, and school levels.
      Health and education experts created five components for HEPS: an advocacy tool, guidelines, an inventory tool, and a training package. These components are to help educators implement HEPS across Europe for the wellness of their students.
      "This is an example of drawing on the experience and expertise from across Europe," Lee said of the components. "The tools and resources have been developed using the research and evidence available, and highlighting good practice."
      While educators and the experts at SHE play a crucial role in promoting health for students, Lee says parents also need to step up and help out. Parents have a responsibility to make sure students are active and healthy and are learning on a high level.
      "We know from those professionals working in and across schools that the role of parents is critical if we want to change and impact behavior," says Lee. "This is the same whether we are talking about doing math homework or eating more healthily."
      Parents must be involved in students' lives and get educated about what is going on inside and outside of the classroom. SHE also offers tools for educators to help promote healthy lifestyles in the home environment.
      "In a broader sense, true parental participation in schools brings a sense of empowerment and ownership, which is essential to [the] cohesion and well-being of the wider whole school community," says Lee. "However, there are always parents that feel less engaged, for a whole host of reasons, but school staff can be both supportive and creative in how they encourage them into becoming involved in the life of the students and school."

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      Matthew Swift is a former contributor to ASCD.

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