A Healthy Lifetime Starts With Learning About Health

Q: What is Kids' Health?

A: Kids Health is a unique coordinated initiative designed to address the health education needs of children today. In conjunction with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University and Tenet Hospitals of Atlanta. Kids' Health is committed to affecting health knowledge, behavior and motivation among youth by providing state-of-the-art programming and curriculum in the school setting.

Kids' Health programs are designed to provide students with the proper health information, skills, resources, and motivatation necessary to take responsibility for their own health. Health education programs will be presented in a memorable and interactive way helping each child build a foundation for making responsible health decisions throughout the course of his or her life. By working in collaboration with teachers and parents, Kids' Health will also help build the supportive environment necessary for the adoption of health enhancing behaviors.

Q: What health education areas are the focus of the Kids' Health program?

A: There are a plethora of health issues facing children today. In conjunction with its founding sponsors, Kids' Health will develop a curriculum that addresses issues critical to a child's current and future health and development. Topics include:

" Nutrition and Physical Activity targeting obesity prevention. Students will be taught what constitutes healthy eating as well as the importance of physical activity.
" Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention Education targeting tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse with specific information and skills on abstaining from these risk behaviors.
" Injury and Violence Prevention targeting unintentional injury and violence. Children will be shown how to reduce the risk of injury by utilizing effective saftey practices and managing stress and conflict constructively.
" Human Growth and Development targeting healthy relationships, maturation, pregnancy and STD/HIV prevention. Specifically this abstinence focused curriculum will teach students how to deal with the changes of adolescence, build healthy relationships, and prevent disease and pregnancy. Please Note: This topic will not be included in Fulton County Schools. The Health Advisory Committee will review lessons and materials in 2002-2003 and make recommendations to the Board.
" General Health targeting good health practices. Most importantly this section teaches children how to recognize and appreciate their own talents and strengths, identify resources for health maintenance or improvement and become advocates for a healthy lifestyle.
These health issues were selected based on research by The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and were validated by over 100 Georgia teachers and administrators participating in a Kids' Health Needs Assessment. Kids' Health professionals believe these issues reflect the critical areas in children's health.

Q: How will Kids' Health programming be delivered?

A: In addition to in-class instruction on the school identified topics, a Kids' Health mobile classroom will travel to the school to provide students with high-tech displays, hands-on demonstrations, and personal interactions with program instructors.

The mobile classrooms are semi-trailers that are 36' long with side expansions that can open into an 600 square foot classroom. The mobile classrooms will be self-contained with their own generators and heating and cooling systems.

These two delivery systems will provide flexibility and cost savings for both the participating schools and Kids' Health. In addition valuable classroom time will not be lost with students leaving the school campus. By 2004, distance learning will be available.

Q: What services will Kids' Health provide?

A: Kids' Health will provide services for students, teachers, school staff and families. It is through this comprehensive and coordinated approach that the adoption and maintenance of health enhancing behaviors will be achieved.

Specific services for students include:
Preliminary health education activities - Two or three activities will be developed for use by the classroom teacher prior to the arrival of Kids' Health. These activities will provide students with essential information necessary to successfully participate in the Kids' Health lessons. Their purpose will be to generate student and faculty interest and ensure the necessary background health information has been covered so that students can fully participate in the Kids' Health lessons.

Three 50 minute engaging health education lessons - These lessons will be provided by Kids' Health educators. Lessons will be conducted in the Kids' Health mobile classroom or the school classroom, but will utilize innovative teaching techniques and resources. The mobile classroom for the elementary students will utilize puppetry, theatrics, music, and some forms of technology. At the middle school level, the mobile unit will utilize numerous forms of technology including audience response systems, heart rate monitors, white boards and computers. Experts from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, CDC and Emory as well as public and private school health educators are reviewing all program materials. All lessons will be correlated to the Quality Core Curriculum (state curriculum) and the National Health Education Standards.

Extension activities - These activities will be designed for use by the classroom teacher to continue and enhance the learning about the health issues once Kids' Health leaves the campus. Activities will focus on building health skills (e.g., communication, goal-setting, advocacy efforts, accessing valid health information).

Specific services for schools and staff include:
Staff Development - This 1-2 hour session will be designed to help school faculty members learn to take care of themselves in healthy ways. Worksite wellness resouces will be discussed and a variety of technological tools will be used to provide personal health assessments.

School Health Council Development: This council will receive resources, technical assistance and training to help members assess current school health policies and programs, and develop plans for continuous improvement.

Resources - This list of resources provided by Kids' Health will assist schools in continuing to address their identified health issues. Resources will include: programs, curricula, teaching tools, etc.

Evaluation measures - Curriculum writers will develop 5-10 pre-post questions to be used within a more comprehensive evaluation. Every effort will be made to integrate the completion of any evaluation instrument into the lessons, therefore eliminating the need to take additional class time from schools. Additional evaluation strategies targeting school policies, programs and environmental changes will be employed to ensure Kids' Health is making a positive difference.

Specific services for families include:
Family Newsletters - These written newsletters will provide factual and age appropriate information regarding health issues along with activities parents can use with their child to reinforce health enhancing behaviors.
Parent Seminars - Families will be offered the opportunity to participate in a program discussing protective factors and health risk reduction activities families can promote at home.

Q: When will the Kids' Health program be ready for integration into public and private schools?

A: In October 2002, Kids Health will begin services for middle schools. Service will begin in January 2003 for elementary schools. Commitments for participation have been received from the superintendents of the following school systems: Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Carrollton City, Bibb and Dalton City Schools. Independent schools are also being invited to participate. At present, Woodward Academy and Holy Innocents' Episcopal School have committed to participate in Kids' Health.

Q: Who is involved in the development of this project?

A: Kids' Health is a concerted effort involving major leaders and figures in Atlanta's business, corporate, health and education communities. Founders of the Kids' Health initiative include individuals from Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Tenet Hospitals of Atlanta. Promina Health System is a founding sponsor.

Kids' Health Board of Trustees
Chairman: Mr. E. Andrew Isakson - Isakson-Barnhart
Co-Chair & Treasurer: Mrs. Mary Johnson - T. Stephen Johnson and Associates
Secretary: Ms. Kim Roeder, Esq. - Powell, Goldstein, Frazer and Murphy
Dr. Diane Allensworth - Center's for Disease Control and Prevention
Mr. Greg Burfitt - Tenet Healthcare
Dr. Vernon Allwood - Morehouse School of Medicine
Dr. Janet Collins - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ms. Karen Cox - Fulton County Schools
Dr. Robert DeHaan - Emory University
Dr. Malone Dodson - Retired Senior Minister, Roswell United Methodist Church
Dr. Stephen Dolinger - Fulton County Schools
Mr. Michael Elting - Cushman and Wakefield of Georgia
Mr. Mike Farrell - Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
The Rev. Dr. David A. Galloway - Rector, Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church
The Honorable Johnny Isakson - U.S. House of Representatives
Mrs. Maritza Keen - Latin American Association
Dr. Jeffrey Koplan - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -Honorary
Dr. Kathleen Miner - Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Mr. Lewis Massey - Sci-Trek
Mr. Alan Najjar - BrightLane.com, Inc.
Mr. Dennis Patterson - SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Mr. Robert Schwartz, Esq. - Smith, Gambrell and Russell
Dr. Louis Sullivan - Morehouse School of Medicine