Video Project Helps Schools Plan Health Programming

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, in partnership with the Baltimore City School Health Council, have developed an in-school training resource to help school personnel encourage students to lead healthier lives. The Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHP) Video Project features a 10-minute video program that focuses on health activities at eight Baltimore City public schools, and a 45-minute video workshop that guides faculty and staff through a basic assessment of their school’s health programming. Out of 180 public schools in Baltimore City, 172 administrators requested the program materials for use this school year.

The 10-minute video highlights the eight components of the CSHP model, which include physical education, parent and community involvement, school environment, counseling, psychological and social services, food and nutrition, health services, health education and staff wellness by showcasing examples of positive health programming currently being used by local Baltimore City public schools. The video workshop provides an opportunity for individual schools to examine the components in their own school and take steps to improve their health programming.

“The video project provides schools with an established framework for addressing student needs. School administrators and staff assess what is going on at their school and then plan health activities to fit their individual needs,” said Ameena Batada, project coordinator and graduate student in the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Population and Family Health Sciences.

Baltimorean Maria Broom narrates the program workshop. She says in the video, “Success is directly related to health. School staff and volunteers play an important role in addressing health conditions that may influence students’ participation in school and in educating them on how to live long and healthy lives.”

The CSHP Video Project reminds participants that adults who spend time with students every day have a window of opportunity to affect the health of their students. Students with good health optimize their own ability to achieve personally and academically—improving their performance on tests and in the classroom.

The video materials were developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, in partnership with the Baltimore City School Health Council (BCSHC). The BCSHC is co-directed by Joe Leake of the Baltimore City Public School System and Maura Rossman of the Baltimore City Health Department. The CSHP Video Project and workshop materials were also supported by The Charles Crane Family Foundation, Inc.

The video and workshop materials are available free of charge from the Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention by calling 443-287-3008 or visiting www.jhsph.edu/adolescenthealth.