We envision a county where young people embody self-determination and graduate high school healthy and equipped with options for college and career.

The Healthy Schools and Communities Division works together with schools, districts, community organizations, public agencies, youth, and families to reduce economic and racial disparities and create opportunities for youth to cultivate their strengths, resiliency, and promise.

Because health and academic success are deeply connected, our health and education systems should be too. We use the term “school health” to describe a holistic approach to wellness. We focus not only on the physical health of students—knowing a student can’t learn if they’re not present at school, or well-fed, or pain free—but also on the other aspects of wellness that our youth and families need to thrive. There are social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, and occupational needs. Integrating health into schools just makes sense—that’s where youth and their families are!

But schools cannot do this alone, nor should they. School health is a collaborative venture. It brings together the expertise of the health and educator sectors and leverages the wisdom of the adults and youth in our schools and communities to enable students to fully engage and realize their potential.