About CSH
Focus
The Center improves youth health through school-based programs that drive changes in knowledge, awareness and behaviors related to physical education and activity, nutrition education and healthy eating for students, families and communities. This multi-level focus on school health includes:
- Enhancing curriculum, instruction, and teacher professional development for physical education and nutrition education.
- Integrating nutrition education and healthy eating messages across the curriculum and throughout the building.
- Increasing opportunities for students to engage in healthy eating behaviors at school.
- Increasing opportunities for health-enhancing physical activity before, during and after school.
- Empowering youth leaders to drive healthy school policies and programs.
- Providing family education and support for at-home physical activity and healthy eating.
- Forging community partnerships extending school health transformations to wider neighborhood environments.
- Ensuring that programs are inclusive and culturally relevant.
Background
The Center grew out of efforts led by Drs. McCaughtry and Annie Murphy, and other center faculty, working to create healthier schools throughout Michigan since 2000. Together, they have obtained over $24 million in funding (1.15 million for 2011-12) to improve the health of Michigan students and their families. The expertise of the Center Faculty lies in the areas of grant writing and administration, program design and implementation, curriculum development, teacher professional development, evaluation planning and development, data collection and analyses, and program reporting and marketing.
Outcomes
- Changed health behaviors of students in 500+ schools
- Created, promoted and distributed healthy school resources
- Created healthy school role models through professional development of 5,000+ teachers and school leaders
- Developed health polices/standards for MI Dept. of Education
- 100+ professional publications on healthy schools
- 200+ state, national and international presentations and keynote lectures
- 20 research and community engagement awards
