Healthy School Communities

For resources, grant opportunities and much more, follow this link to our Healthy School Communities website.

What is a Healthy School Community?

A healthy school community promotes a culture of wellness for all its members: students, teachers, administrators, principals, staff, parents, and community partners. (PHE Canada)

Comprehensive School Health is an internationally-recognized and effective approach for building healthy school communities. It can be used to address a variety of health issues and can improve health, education, and social outcomes for children and youth.

A Healthy School Community:

Recognizes that healthy students learn better and achieve more
Understands that schools can directly influence students’ health and behaviours
Encourages healthy lifestyle choices, and promotes students’ health and wellbeing
Incorporates health into all aspects of school and learning
Links health and education issues and systems
Needs the participation and support of families and the community at large

How is Student Health Supported in a Healthy School Community?

Health and education are interdependent: healthy students are better learners, and better-educated individuals are healthier. Research has shown that a Healthy School Community is an effective way to promote that linkage, improving both health and educational outcomes and encouraging healthy behaviours that last a lifetime.

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education encourages and supports schools to promote Healthy School Communities.