Preventative Services

Coordinated School Health

Good health and learning go hand in hand. The Health Department works with Northern Kentucky school leaders, offering technical assistance to make schools more conducive to health through policy, systems, and environmental changes. The program uses the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, expanded from the coordinated school health approach. This child-centered model focuses on the school and community to address children’s health in schools. Some examples of collaboration in the area of school health include:

School Wellness Policies

 School wellness policies

Schools should bring together a variety of stakeholders, including staff, parents, school board members, and administrators in developing wellness policies, which address the following components:

  • Nutrition
  • Physical activity
  • Tobacco-free environments
  • Mental health
  • Unintentional injury/violence prevention
  • Other school-based activities

Resources for wellness policy development

WellSAT is an online tool created for schools and districts to assess the quality of their wellness policies, and offers personalized guidance and resources for making improvements based on assessment results.

School Health Index: Self-Assessment and Planning Guide is a tool that schools can use to identify their existing strengths and weaknesses, develop an action plan from improving health, and engage teachers, parents, students and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health.

Health Department staff are available to assist schools with use of the WellSAT and/or School Health Index. Email nkywebmaster@nkyhealth.org.

School Funding Opportunities

REACH School Health Incentive Funds Project

Through the REACH School Health Incentive Funds project, schools work with the Health Department to create healthier environments with a focus on policy and environmental changes over a two-year period.

  • Application deadline for the REACH project has passed, and we are no longer accepting applications. 

Northern Kentucky’s work in this area has been featured in the following national publications:

Funding opportunities

The following organization provides funding opportunities for school health:

Healthy Challenge

Healthy Challenge 2024

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Healthy Challenge is held each year in March to coincide with National Nutrition Month.
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Schools interested in taking part in the 2024 Health Challenge can register here.
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About the challenge

Produce Man’s Healthy Challenge is a school-wide campaign appropriate for elementary schools (Pre-K through 8th grade students) and includes school staff as well.

During the week-long challenge, students and staff use a tracking chart to reach a goal of eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables plus getting in 30 minutes of exercise daily.

Winning students, staff and classes at each participating school win prizes and compete for grand prize funding awarded to schools.

Approximately 30 public and private schools throughout Northern Kentucky participate annually.

 

National Nutrition Month

Produce Man’s Healthy Challenge is held in observance of National Nutrition Month and Every Kid Healthy Week .

More information

For more information, please contact Monica Smith monica.smith@nkyhealth.org or 859-363-2114.

Eat Healthy NKY / Farm to School

Eat Healthy NKY

The Eat Healthy NKY Collaborative works to provide access to local and nutritious foods to all in Northern Kentucky. Partners include school personnel, farmers, parents, community members, etc.

For additional information, contact nkywebmaster@nkyhealth.org.

 

Farm to School

The Northern Kentucky Health Department coordinated the Farm-to-School Challenge in Northern Kentucky throughout the month of October, which was National Farm-to-School Month. This year the program was in collaboration with the KY Farm to School Network’s new statewide promotion for farm-to-school month. The program included Taste, Learn, and Grow activities, such as serving locally grown foods in schools, taste tests in the cafeteria or classrooms, nutrition education activities in the classroom, farm visits, and school garden or growing activities.
Participating schools received promotional items provided by the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which included a farm-to-school kit with posters, a farm-to-school cafeteria sign for the top of the serving line, farm-to-school bulletin board, a starter grow kit and seeds, stickers, fruit and vegetable tattoos, apple cutters, and Kentucky farmer trading cards highlighting local farms. Schools also received a yard sign from the Kentucky Farm-to-School Network that stated they served food from a local farm to display on their school property.
There was a great response this year with the most schools participating since the program’s inception in 2018, with 22 Northern Kentucky schools participating in 2023. This is an increase of 13 schools from last year.  
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Congratulations to Ballyshannon Middle School cafeteria in Union, Ky., on winning $500 for the 2023 KY Farm-to-School Month Challenge in Northern Kentucky. (They were the randomly selected winner from the submitted completion forms.)
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For more information on the Farm-to-School Challenge, contact Monica Smith at monica.smith@nkyhealth.org.
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Check out some of the results of this Challenge:
         
Vaccine Champion Contest

Vaccine Champion Contest 2024

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About the Contest

Each year, the Commonwealth of Kentucky challenges schools around the state to create posters, brochures, or videos that illustrate the importance of childhood vaccines. One elementary school, middle school, and high school are awarded $500 if they are named the Vaccine Champion.

  • Submission Deadline: February 23, 2024
  • Regional winners are chosen in each category by: March 5, 2024
  • One overall state winner are chosen in each category by: March 12, 2024
  • Regional and state winners are announced at the KHSAA Boy’s Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament
  • State Winners receive $500 (Sponsored by KAHP)

Contest Rules

Elementary School

Kindergarten – 5th grade

Poster Presentation

  • Describes the importance of childhood vaccines
    • Why should you receive your routine vaccines?
    • Where can you get vaccinations in your community?
  • Poster should contain words as well as colorful pictures to promote the message
  • Write your name, age, county of residence, and a valid phone number on the back of the poster
  • A Media Consent Form is required for all entries
  • Available online vaccine resources

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Middle School

6th grade – 8th grade

Brochure Presentation

  • Describes the importance of childhood vaccines
    • Depicts positive outcome associated with receiving a vaccine
    • Where can you get vaccinations in your community?
  • Poster should contain words as well as colorful pictures to promote the message
  • Provides information on where to get vaccinations in the community
  • Brochure should contain words as well as colorful pictures to promote the message
  • Write your name, age, county of residence, and a valid phone number on the back of the brochure
  • A Media Consent Form is required for all entries
  • Available online vaccine resources

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High School

9th grade – 12th grade

Video Presentation

  • (30 seconds maximum formatted for YouTube)
  • Short video should promote a powerful message on the importance of receiving childhood vaccinations
  • Depicts positive outcome associated with receiving vaccines
    • Such as protection of self, family, friends, and teachers from diseases such as measles and polio and/or other childhood disease
  • Lists community locations where vaccinations can be obtained
  • Video must be posted to YouTube on the student’s personal account
    • Resource to help create video: www.youtube.com/t/creators_corner
  • A Media Consent Form is required for all entries
  • Available online vaccine resources

 

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More information

For more information on how to submit your poster, brochure or YouTube video Entries, contact your local Health Department.