ASCD's "Health in Education Initiative" — An Interview with Project Director Theresa Lewallen

Hi, I'm Kathleen Burke, Director of ASCD's Annual Conference. Welcome to ASCD's Annual Conference Online 2002.

We are pleased to present a series of online programs that will preview topics and highlights of the 2002 Annual Conference. Joining us now is Theresa Lewallen, Director of ASCD's Health in Education Initiative.

Theresa, what is the purpose of the ASCD Health in Education Initiative?

The Health in Education Initiative's goal is to raise awareness among middle and high school educators about public health issues and careers. So, through the initiative, we sponsor partnerships between schools and community-based public health agencies. Through the initiative, the students learn the knowledge, skills, and information used by public health professionals. And they do that through curriculum integration, problem-based learning, and service-learning activities.

What from this initiative will be presented at the ASCD Annual Conference?

The initiative is going to sponsor six sessions at the conference, including the opening keynote session with Dr. Joycelyn Elders, a special feature session that will focus on the critical issues that principals and superintendents face in schools today. We will have a session to help teachers integrate public health issues into the curriculum, and then we'll have three panel sessions that will be presentations by our 10 sites around the country that are the partnerships between the schools and public health agencies. In addition, the association's Health and Education Network and other sessions will focus on student and faculty health and wellness issues.

Theresa, why is it important to have a Health in Education Initiative?

Well the Health and Education Initiative encourages students to actively participate in making their schools and communities healthier places. The students are learning to use critical thinking and problem-solving to focus not only on the health of their communities, but also on their own health decisions. We know that students who are in good health, and who have their social and emotional needs met, can concentrate better on learning than those who are sick or come to school distracted by some of the issues in their life. Schools can create an environment where students learn more effectively by helping them overcome their physical, social, and emotional barriers to learning in a coordinated way. So the Health and Education Initiative encourages schools to look at the needs of their students and their communities and to empower their students to make those changes and decisions that are appropriate to good health.

Thank you, Theresa. And thanks to our Internet audience for tuning in to one of a series of online programs previewing the ASCD's 2002 Annual Conference in San Antonio. Check back this time next week when we will post the next program, featuring Ray McNulty. Before you leave this site, take a few minutes to visit the ASCD Annual Conference web page for the latest conference updates. I'm Kathleen Burke.