The Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership bet
ween Case Western Reserve University and 15 Cuyahoga County school districts that has secured $1.8 million in federal funding to revolutionize health education in our region.
The grant, awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through its "What Works in Schools" initiative, will support a comprehensive model designed to enhance academic achievement by promoting long-term student health and wellness across K-12 education.
"This collaborative effort represents a significant step forward in our mission to support the complete well-being of students across Northeast Ohio," said Dr. Bill Wagner, Director of the First Ring Schools Collaborative at the ESC of Northeast Ohio. "By bringing together educators, health experts, and community stakeholders, we're creating a unified approach to student health that will serve as a model for districts nationwide."
The initiative unites Case Western Reserve's Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) with the First Ring Schools Collaborative, supported by ESC of Northeast Ohio and the Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) Coalition of the Bellefaire Jewish Children's Bureau. Together, they will develop and implement evidence-based strategies focusing on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and substance-use prevention.
Participating districts include: 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.
“We believe all children are entitled to both resources and opportunities to build and foster a healthy life,” said Kristina Knight, project director at Case Western Reserve. “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 program launched on October 28 with a kick-off event at the Prevention Research Center, marking the beginning of this transformative initiative. District leaders discussed questions such as What are we doing to support the health of our school communities? What could we be doing to support the health of our school communities? What is the best way to work across districts to improve health? How do we engage youth as leaders, across districts, to support their collective health? The Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods at Case Western Reserve University will provide academic expertise, research capabilities, and evaluation support, while the 15 local school districts will implement the program.
The initiative includes training for educators, workshops for families, and the integration of new curricula aligned with the CDC’s guidelines to foster healthier school environments.
Plans are already in place to expand the program to additional Cuyahoga County districts in the coming year, with the goal of establishing a replicable model for school-based health initiatives nationwide.