Case Western Reserve University and 15 Cuyahoga County public school districts recently received $1.8 million in federal funds to boost academic achievement by promoting the health of K-12 students, the university recently announced.
The grant is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “What Works in Schools” initiative, which supports projects addressing critical health issues, such as nutrition, physical activity, mental health and substance-use prevention, CWRU said in a news release.
A new partnership between Case Western Reserve’s Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods and the First Ring Schools Collaborative aims to help K-12 students in participating districts get healthier so they can excel academically.
The First Ring Schools Collaborative brings together more than 100 superintendents and administrators from 15 school districts that border the city of Cleveland. The collaborative was established in 2000 to help districts address the interrelated challenges of poverty, mobility, diversity, equity, and the achievement gap.
CWRU’s Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods will provide academic expertise, research capabilities and evaluation support, while the 15 local school districts will implement the program.
The partnership between CWRU and the First Ring Schools Collaborative unites educators, health experts and community stakeholders, the university said. The partners focus on creating evidence-based strategies to promote students’ healthy behaviors and mental well-being.
The partnership is also supported by the Educational Service Center of Northeastern Ohio and the Social Advocates for Youth Coalition of the Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau.
“We believe all children are entitled to both resources and opportunities to build and foster a healthy life,” said Kristina Knight, project director at CWRU. “Schools are a vital setting for improving health outcomes, and, together, we will work to ensure that every child has the tools they need to thrive physically, mentally and emotionally.”
The CDC’s “What Works in Schools” initiative also includes training for educators, workshops for families and new curricula in line with CDC guidelines on creating healthier school environments, CWRU said.
The participating school districts are Beachwood, Bedford, Berea, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights-University Heights, East Cleveland, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Mayfield, Orange, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, Solon, South Euclid-Lyndhurst and Warrensville Heights.
The program plans to expand to more Cuyahoga County school districts over the next year and serve as a national model for health in schools, CWRU said.