Where Individual Similarities And Differences Are Acknowledged. Health education provides opportunities for students to join with their families, peers, school staff, and community members to build safe schools and communities. As with the other frameworks, health contributes to learning about similarities and differences among students. Health education helps students recognize that personal health is part of the dynamic interaction between individuals and their social environments. Students study ways in which peers, families, mentors, groups, and institutions foster healthy attitudes and expectations of success.
Students examine protective factors that support healthy behaviors and habits.
Students learn how health promotion is related to caring appropriately for their own health needs and showing others how to maintain and improve their health. Health education helps students recognize conditions that would make their school safe and accepting of all students regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or social or economic background. Students learn about the kinds of activities that build trust and community, the importance of a broad coalition in these activities, and how to raise awareness of support services in their school and community. The components of a coordinated school health program include classroom based education as well as program components that are support or service oriented. When these components are linked in a planned, coherent, mutually supported system, they reinforce health knowledge and skills as well as attitudes and behaviors that help students stay healthy.