Healthy Schools

Nebraska Healthy Schools Recognition and Education Conference

Join us for the Nebraska Healthy Schools Recognition and Education conference on March 25^th, in Lincoln.  This event will bring schools together from across the state to recognize exemplary wellness efforts being implemented within the school environment to support staff wellbeing and student academic success during the awards luncheon.

The conference education sessions are designed to grow participants’ knowledge about the connection between health, wellbeing and academic success utilizing the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.  School staff, students, community members, public health professionals and health advocates are invited to join their peers to learn about best practices in promoting the wellbeing of staff and students from national speakers as well as local experts on key areas of school health, including the staff wellness, nutrition promotion, health services, mental health and physical activity.

Please direct any questions about this conference to Jessie Coffey at Jessie.coffey@nebraska.gov

2020 Recognized Nebraska Healthy Schools in Action

Online Application 

Applications available December 10^th to January 27^th, 2020

The Recognized Nebraska Healthy Schools in Action application is a way to hear from schools about the efforts being used to ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged as part of the Whole Child framework. The goal of the application is to identify and showcase schools that are going above and beyond with implementing best practices.  We know schools are dedicated to supporting staff and student’s physical and mental health and wellbeing, which guides the preparation of all Nebraskans for learning, earning, and living and we want to hear from you!

You’re doing great things- apply for recognition today!!

It may be helpful for you to print a copy of the  2020 Healthy Schools Application as you work through completing the various sections with members of your school wellness team.

Get a Head Start in Completing the Triennial Wellness Policy Assessment:

Completing section III of the application will help you meet the required triennial assessment due in July 2020.  You will be provided a PDF copy of your assessment to use as part of your districts assessment process.

At least once every three years, the local wellness policy must undergo an assessment that is made available to the public to determine; 1) the extent to which your policy complies with the LWP requirements; 2) the extent to which the LWP compares to model local school wellness policies; and 3) the progress made in attaining the required goals of the LWP as defined by the USDA final rule of 2016.

Who Should Apply?

• School Staff and Administration
• After School Program Staff
• Community organizations who partner with schools
• PTO/PTA
• School Board Members

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, or WSCC model, is a framework for addressing health in schools.   The WSCC model is student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement and the importance of implementing best practices.

It may be helpful for you to print a copy of the  2020 Healthy Schools Application as you work through completing the various sections with members of your school wellness team.

We fully recognize that some of the best practices outlined in the application may be challenging for schools to fully embody, underscoring the need for continued support, learning and the celebration of success for practices being implemented.

Given that, it is with these standards we are able to provide multiple levels of recognition for all schools that apply. 

All applicants will be notified of their recognition status by February 15, 2020. All schools that applied will be recognized at the Nebraska Healthy Schools Recognition and Education Conference in Lincoln on March 25, 2020 during the awards luncheon in of the following categories:

• Emerging School in Action
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold

Please save the date for this event- we would love to have you in Lincoln to accept your award in person. Thank you for your dedication to student and staff wellness in your school!

Direct questions to Jessie Coffey, MS, RDN at Jessie.coffey@nebraska.gov