Title
Chatham County School Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Instructional Program Facilitator 2019-2020 End of the School Year Report
Abstract
Action Requested: None
• Introduction & Background: The School Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Instructional Program Facilitator position was included in the FY18 budget and officially started in January 2018. This position was created for Chatham County Schools (CCS) and is an innovative partnership between the public health department and school district that is new for North Carolina. The goal of this position within CCS is to institutionalize the importance of health within our school district and county and demonstrate the county’s commitment to creating a healthy and productive community. The position is funded through and supported by the Chatham County Public Health Department to coordinate the K-12 Healthful Living curriculum, including curriculum identification and dissemination, teacher training, and monitoring and evaluation, and to provide individual schools and teachers support for quality health education in their classrooms. This position also ensures compliance with the North Carolina Essential Standards Healthful Living objectives that cover all facets of health and physical education and the Healthy Youth Act of 2009 that requires every Local Education Authority (LEA) provide reproductive health and safety education in 7th-9th grades. In addition to supporting individual schools and teachers, this position serves as a resource for school health for the public, community partners, and government agencies, and works to implement specific programs and campaigns in collaboration with these organizations. This position also seeks to implement and monitor the school wellness policies.
• Discussion & Analysis: This was the second full school year that this position existed within CCS. This is the third year that we have provided an update on the progress of this position. This annual presentation is given at the end of each school year to the Chatham County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Board of Health. In this report, we would like to present on 1) the overall strategic approach of this position; 2) community collaboration efforts; 3) current school health initiatives and; 4) 2019-2020 goals and results. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will also update the BOCC on how this position is supporting distance-learning and filling a critical role for teachers and students. We will conclude our presentation by discussing next steps for this position for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.
• How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: The School Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Instructional Program Facilitator position relates to the health goal of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Specifically, this position impacts Objective 9: Provide equitable access to high-quality education, housing, and community options for all and Objective 10: Foster a healthy community. This position’s responsibility is to engage schools, teachers, and students and ensure the creation and equitable implementation of quality health educational programs and policies for all Chatham students, no matter what school they attend. This position demonstrates that Chatham County puts the health and wellbeing of students and school employees at the center of education, which is essential to prepare Chatham’s youth for the future. A healthier student population leads to increased graduation rates and a more productive workforce, creating a more dynamic and prosperous future for Chatham County.
Budgetary Impact: There is no budgetary impact of this report.
Recommendation: There are no recommendations for this presentation.