Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools
School Health Promotion
Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools is proud to celebrate a
15-year commitment to Coordinated School Health Programming
(CSHP). What began as an interdisciplinary model to promote
child and adolescent health, has evolved into a
sophisticated network of school community agencies and
activities.
Throughout the early years of program development many
faculty, staff, administrators, and community residents were
enriched by their participation in this program and
philosophy. Through a collaboration of agencies, higher
education, and community resources, Stow-Munroe Falls City
Schools has developed a unique and successful adaptation of
priority programming model developed by the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention.
From the onset of the Coordinated School Health program, the
administrative officials of Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools
have actively supported the development and growth of the
program. By establishing the Superintendent's Health
Promotion committee, this placed a major commitment to the
health of Stow-Munroe Falls students. This committee meets
monthly to develop and introduce new concepts and ideas for
programming in the area of Coordinated School Health.
Committee members include school, community, health care,
agency, government and business individuals that supply
guidance and innovative ideas.
The Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools and its leadership
recognized the importance and relevancy of child health
issues and its prerequisite to academic success. In adopting
this relationship consistent linkage has occurred to bridge
these two areas.
Health Promotion
Coordinator
The employment of a Health Promotion Coordinator has been a
key link to ensure that complex student and staff health
issues are primary responsibility of local schools. To
increase this goal the Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education
has increased the graduation requirements from the
state-required one-half credit to one full credit. As
employees are provided the opportunity to participate in a
staff development program where the "Stow Model of
Coordinated School Health" is introduced and explained as to
their individual role as new employees.
Stow-Munroe Falls' collaboration efforts have provided
direction and resources. By involving Kent State and local
health-related agencies, programming has been developed with
little or minimal finances. As time places demands on
schools, coordinating programming with agencies and KSU
College of Education has provided opportunities for staff
development and curriculum planning in non-traditional
environment and time frames. Bringing together many
community people and churches in programming sensitive
subject areas, these sensitivities have been addressed and
acknowledged. As the program expands, Stow-Munroe Falls has
been aware of the needs of the community. To this end a
community-school based committee has been established to
explore service learning. This committee has been actively
pursuing implementation of service learning within three
years to assist these invaluable agencies and
institutions.
The development of the Communicable Disease Committee is a
proactive committee designed to prepare the community and
school district to issues involving infectious and
communicable disease. Many other committees and
investigations are ongoing to address health issues and
concerns within the community, all of these committees work
in concert with the Superintendent's Health Promotion
Committee.
Funding/Networking/Research
The third agenda focuses on funding for Coordinated School
Health Programs. As education dollars are limited,
Stow-Munroe Falls has developed a successful process where
by available dollars are acquired and directed toward the
priority areas outlined by Kolbe. Kolbe's five health risk
area's provide unique opportunities for funding. Intentional
injuries, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, dietary behaviors,
physical activities and sexual behavior have been addressed
in an on-going endeavor to improve health status of students
and eventually impacting academic achievement.
Akron Child Guidance assists in counseling programs for
students and staff focusing on suicide prevention, stress
reduction, coping skills. In return, Stow-Munroe Falls City
Schools have provided office space for this agency within a
school building in the district. Similar collaborations
continue to work in the other high risk health areas:
physical activity and the local fitness club; KSU and
tobacco, alcohol and other drugs; dietary behaviors and
Marriott Food Service; sexual behaviors and Health Education
Center of Akron; these linkages have reduced cost and
improved effectiveness of programming.
The fourth practice involves conventional patterns of
funding and research. A segment of the duties of Stow Health
Promotion Coordinator is to locate and apply for funding for
the five health risk priority areas. Funds are available
with collaboration and investigation. To this end
Stow-Munroe Falls have receive monies from local agencies,
PTA, and local businesses to implement programs and
activities.
The collaboration process has resulted receiving grants and
awards from American Heart Association, Ohio Department of
Health Block Grants, Nutrition Education Training monies,
Safe, Drug-Free Schools, Metropolitan Life Healthy Me Award.
KSU College of Education, Department of Adult Counseling
Health and Vo-Ed has provided extensive hours of training in
grant writing and securing health related monies.
Public schools have been remiss in developing research and
assessment data for educational programming within the
instruction arena. The Coordinated Health Program at Stow
has relied on KSU to assist in gathering assessment data.
The district is currently exploring a relationship between
the College of Education Partnership Committee in evaluating
Tobacco and Drug Programming at Stow-Munroe Falls. These
assessment tools will in turn influence future focus of the
program. The use of outside assessment guidelines and
research has been an intricate part of
programming.
To this point the program has presented it's uniqueness and
its venture in health education programming. The programs'
true impact revolves around two key factors: student health
risks and academic achievement, and the ability to duplicate
this program in area school districts.
Comparing the existing programs and programs in development
to the national standards of health instruction, Youth Risk
Behavior Survey and Healthy People 2000, Stow's Coordinated
Health Program seems to be on target. As qualitative and
quantitative data becomes available through the
collaboration with KSU adjustments and improvements within
the program will occur.
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