What is Healthy School Communities?

Healthy School Communities is a partnership between HRCE and Public Health (CZ). Healthy School Communities use the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework to guide their work. HPS is an evidence-based, whole school approach to health promotion that engages partners across the school community in planning, processes and actions on factors to improve student health, well-being and learning outcomes.

This whole-school approach builds capacity to incorporate well-being as a essential pre-condition for student success. Research has shown that it improves both health and educational outcomes and promotes healthy behaviours that last a lifetime.

Healthy School Communities seeks to continuously enhance the climate, culture, policies, practices and physical design of the school community to support students to reach their full health and learning potential.

This 'deep dive' describes the Halifax Regional Centre for Education's (HRCE) Healthy School Communities, which uses the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework. HPS is an evidence-based approach focusing on creating supportive school environments that improve student health, well-being, and learning outcomes. The framework considers several key areas, including school environments (physical and social), health-promoting policies, services and programs, and teaching and learning. HRCE's implementation involves partnerships with Public Health, providing funding, resources, and support to schools to foster inclusive, equitable, and vibrant communities. The ultimate goal is to enhance student health and learning potential through a holistic, whole-school approach.

Duration: 19:37

The HPS Framework

The key characteristics of school communities that are demonstrated through evidence to strongly impact health and learning:

School Environments
Health Promoting Policies
Services & Programs
Teaching & Learning

The processes that are fundamental to the success and sustainability of HPS work and are foundational to a HSC approach:

Leadership & Partnerships
School Community Engagement
Planning & Evaluation

How is Student Health Supported in Healthy School Communities?

Health and education are interdependent: healthy students are better learners, and better-educated individuals are healthier. Research has shown that a Healthy School Communities is an effective way to promote that linkage. Healthy school communities create conditions for students to feel they are accepted, safe, and valued- so they can best learn and succeed now and throughout their lifetime.

The Nova Scotia Inclusive Education Policy reflects the importance the well-being of students and the impact it has on achievement. Healthy School Communities will coordinate, support and facilitate the adoption and implementation of Healthy School Communities (HSC) within the Nova Scotia Inclusive Education Policy framework across the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).

Learn more about the Health Promoting Schools Framework HERE

Health Promoting Schools Key Messages

These key messages were developed in collaboration with representatives from the UpLift Partnership, hosted at Dalhousie University Healthy Populations Institute; Nova Scotia Health; Conseil scolaire acadienne provincial; the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, and the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage.

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