National Consensus on School Health Education Update

OCTOBER 7, 2021 – ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Led by the American School Health Association, Eta Sigma Gamma national health education honorary society, Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education, National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Society for Public Health Education, and Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education, the National Consensus on School Health Education is pleased to share the progress of its nationwide effort to develop resources for educators interested in quality school health education as a component of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.
New National Partner
We are pleased to welcome the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) as a Management Group partner. As a national partner, NCHEC has representation in each group of the initiative.
New Technical Advisor
Dr. Leigh Szucs, Health Scientist, CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, has graciously agreed to serve as a technical advisor and ex-officio member of the Expert Review Group. We welcome Dr. Szucs and look forward to her contributions.
Initiative Updates
The initiative includes four parts:
• The Management Group, with representatives (presidents and executive directors) from each of the six organizations, shares collaborative decision making on all aspects of the initiative. The Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education serves as the convening organization.
• The Development Group (see the June 14 release) is comprised of a diverse group of experts in school health education. This group has met twice to move forward with their process to draft products that focus on what students and out-of-school youth need to know and be able to do to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle and to succeed in school. Products of the initiative will be open access to the field. New members were recently added, including:
o Felipe Beltran, Health Education Teacher, Albuquerque Public Schools (New Mexico)
o Bridget Cross, Teacher, Iberville Parish Schools, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (representing NCHEC)
o Dr. Emily Frank, Director of Health Education Partnerships, Oakland Center for Science, Education, and Outreach and Health Teacher, Life Academy Oakland (California) and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health
We welcome Felipe, Bridget, and Emily to the initiative.
• The Expert Review Group (see the July 2 release), which currently includes more than 45 members with expertise in school health education and related fields. Members include classroom teachers, local school district- and state-level health education directors, curriculum developers, teacher educators, and researchers as well as additional experts in the field. These experts will provide comments to the Development Group as their work progresses and may also be called upon by the Development Group to consult from time to time. Additional members have been added, including:
o Dr. Melissa Boguslawski, Manager, Project Healthy Schools, University of Michigan
o Charley Daniel, School Health Manager, Tulsa (Oklahoma) Health Department
o Jordan Fuhrmeister, Associate Project Director, Society for Public Health Education
o Radha Pennotti, Policy and Strategy Senior Associate, PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
o Duncan Van Dusen, CEO, CATCH Global Foundation (Texas)
o Kathy Wilbur, health education leader and former health education manager, Maine Department of Education
o Jamie Williams, Teaching Instructor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University (North Carolina; representing NCHEC)

• Additional review processes including a comments period for a wide variety of experts in the fields of education, health, and related professions and a period for public comment.
All work is accomplished in accordance with the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession.
The National Consensus on School Health Education is designed to be collaborative and inclusive. Organizations and individuals with a role in health education are invited to participate. For more information, please contact Dr. William Potts-Datema, FAHE President, at pottsdatema@gmail.com or Dr. Keely Rees, Eta Sigma Gamma President, at krees@uwlax.edu.