CDC Launches Hashtag Campaign for School Health

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This week, the Center For Disease Control and Prevention launched their social media campaign for healthy schools, #CDCHealthySchools.

The CDC’s Healthy Schools social media campaign aims “to increase awareness of the impact school health programs have in schools and school districts across the United States,” said Holly Hunt, Chief of School Health at the CDC, in a letter sent to Salud America!.

Healthy Schools Social Media Campaign

The campaign encourages participants to answer the question, “What does a healthy school look like to you?” and use the hashtag #CDCHealthySchools to answer the question on any or all of your social media channels. Try posting a video, photo, graphic, or text.

The campaign runs through Feb. 28, 2019.

As part of the campaign, the CDC also is introducing its Healthy Schools Video Series.

Videos show the accomplishments of the CDC’s past grantees from North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.

Healthy Schools Program

CDC Healthy Schools supports programs managed by states, school systems, communities, and national partners that focus on:

  • Improving the well-being of youth through healthy eating.
  • Physical education and physical activity.
  • Reducing risk factors associated with childhood obesity.
  • Managing chronic health conditions in schools.

Thus, the CDC recommends providing students with opportunities to improve their dietary behaviors with the anticipation of creating lifelong health.

This can help Latino and all kids achieve academically, socially, and physically.

At Salud America!, we create Salud Hero stories and videos of school teachers and administrators who have made healthy changes for Latino and all students in their schools.

For example, Bob Stewart knew some students miss class or drop out of Gladstone School District in Oregon (14.6% Latino).

But he didn’t know why.

Stewart came to realize his students face trauma, like neglect, mental illness, poverty, and other adverse childhood experiences. This harms their attendance and mental and physical health.

He wanted to help. So he started mental health services in his district.

Then Stewart pushed to start a statewide learning collaborative to educate other school districts how to support students who face trauma. They are now advocating for more change.

“Every single school district said the information they received,” Stewart said, “will lead to systemic changes in the way they do business.”

Can You Improve School Health?

Post your ideas with CDC’s hashtag, #CDCHealthySchools!

If you don’t have some ideas, Salud America! has helpful Action Packs with tools to get you on the road toward healthier schools:

  • Add a Water Bottle Fountain at Your School! This gives kids much-needed access to safe drinking water throughout the school day. They help keep kids hydrated and healthy while saving families money from buying bottled water.
  • Start a School Food Pantry! A School Food Pantry accepts, stores, and redistributes donated and leftover food to students.
  • Make Your School Trauma-Sensitive! This is a free guide with coaching to help school personnel talk to decision-makers, build a support team, craft a system to identify and support traumatized students, and more!

Let’s work for healthier schools!

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