Get your healthy schools score card

The Colorado Department of Education today announces the creation of an online “Healthy School Champion Score Card” for schools to assess best practices in health education and services, counseling, nutrition services and education, physical education and activity, family and community involvement, staff wellness and healthy school environment.

In September and October, schools can log on to the Healthy School Champion Score Card to score themselves and be considered for recognition. The top 15 schools will be recognized at the Colorado Connections for Healthy Schools Recognition Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Stonebrook Manor in Thornton. Winners will be notified by Friday, Oct. 22. The Colorado Health Foundation sponsors awards, including mini-grants of up to $5,000.

“The purpose of the Healthy School Champion Score Card is to create a Web-enabled, voluntary reporting system to support school efforts to improve learning through the lens of health,” said Karen Connell, CDE Health and Wellness supervisor. “We know that many schools are making great strides in health and wellness according to our latest health survey. We want to celebrate their work in creating healthy schools.”

Colorado Connections for Healthy Schools, Colorado’s Coordinated School Heath Initiative, released a 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey comparing Colorado with the U.S. in categories such as unintentional injuries and violence, alcohol and other drugs, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors and physical activity.

View the results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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