How can Island Health support your school?
Health and education are closely intertwined. Medical Health Officers serve School Boards under the B.C. School Act. Public Health Nursing delivers school immunizations and youth clinic services in school settings. Our local Healthy Schools Teams, consisting of various health professionals, including School Health Promoters, are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of school communities.
The Healthy School Team can help your school:
- Curriculum & Instructional Support - Curriculum planning, educator consults & health resource support
- Professional Development & Capacity Building - Pro-D, naloxone training, grant research & application, school food programming, health data support
- Student & Community Engagement - Youth initiatives, PAC support, health fairs, and info sharing
- Strategic Planning - school district planning, climate resiliency planning, active transport initiatives, healthy public policy
- Student Health Services - youth & wellness clinics, immunizations, health fairs
- Population & Public Health, Health Schools Team Infographic
- Using a Comprehensive School Health Approach
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A Comprehensive School Health (CSH) approach encourages school communities to come together to create a learning environment where health and wellbeing are valued and promoted across the whole school. It encompasses the whole school environment with coordinated actions in four interrelated areas:
- Relationships & Environments
- Teaching & Learning
- Community Partnerships
- School Policies
To learn more and find resources to implement CSH in your school community:
- Contact us
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For general queries related to supporting school health and wellness initiatives, contact the .
Health Resources for School Communities
For grade-specific resources that align with the BC Physical and Health Education curriculum, check out the PHE recommended resources.
You may find additional resources for your school community below each of the following topics, including resources specific to Schools & Educators and Parents/Caregivers.
- Body Image and Nutrition
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Nurturing Confidence – Food, Eating and Bodies in Schools
School & Educator Resources
For support with school food programming, email us and connect with a Public Health Dietitian in your area.
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
Nutrition
Eating Disorders & Body Image
- Climate Adaptation and Resilience
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Climate change is affecting our health and wellbeing. It can also directly impact learning. For example, school access may be limited during adverse weather events, extreme heat can affect concentration, and wildfire smoke can impact respiratory health. Integrating climate adaptation and resilience in all aspects of the school environment is an integral part of the response to climate change. More importantly, students across BC and Canada are calling for a more just and holistic climate change education.
Environment - Island Health
School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Common Childhood Illnesses and Prevention
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Everyone can help prevent the spread of infections by practicing proper handwashing. Check out the handwashing webpages from BCCDC and HealthLinkBC.
School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
Illness Prevention
Common Childhood Illness
- Dental Health
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School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
Supplementary Benefits
- Diabetes, Glucagon and Nursing Support Services
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School & Educator Resources
- Immunization and Vaccines
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Immunizations - Island Health
School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Injury Prevention
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Everyone - students, families, schools and community - can benefit from learning how to prevent serious and fatal injuries in the home, at play and on the move.
Concussion Awareness Training Tool - CATT
BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Injury Priorities - BCIRPU
Injury Topics – Parachute
Promoting Relationships & Eliminating Violence Network (PREVNet): Resources on bullying & teen dating violence.
School & Community Road Safety Programs (Walking School Bus, Play & School Streets) - Society for Children and Youth of BC
School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Safe Kids Worldwide: Parent/caregiver information on child safety & injury topics, such as care seat safety, safe sleep, fire safety, pedestrian safety and more.
- Kindergarten Preparation
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School & Educator Resources
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Lice Management
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Head lice are common, especially among children aged 3 to 12. They can impact children's well-being by causing discomfort, frustration, unnecessary embarrassment, and financial strain on families due to the time and costs involved in treatment. Head Lice are primarily transmitted by close head to head contact. Head lice do not jump or fly. While they can be a nuisance, head lice do not spread any diseases and are not related to personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home, school, or community. Anyone who has hair can get head lice.
- Mental Health
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Language Matters - Province of BC: The words and concepts we use are powerful tools that have the ability to stigmatize, illuminate or empower. This resource emphasizes the use of language that is accurate, inclusive, stigma free, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and respectful of individual identities and differences.
School & Educator Resources
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Managing Medical Complexities in School & Nursing Support Services
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Nursing Support Services
Complex Healthcare Needs/Nursing Support Services
Nursing Support Services for Seizure Care
Nursing Support Services Referral
School & Educator Resources
Anaphylaxis
Seizure Care
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Physical Activity and Literacy
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School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Sexual Health/Maturation
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Island Health Youth Clinics provide free and confidential health services to individuals 25 years of age and under.
Canadian Centre for Child Protection
School & Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Sleep
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School & Educator Resources
Parent/Caregiver Resources
- Substance Use (Including Vaping and Smoking)
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Unregulated Drug Poisoning Emergency Information
School and Educator Resources
Lesson Plans / Classroom Activities:
Parent / Caregiver Resources
Unregulated Drug Poisoning Emergency
- Let's Talk - An information toolkit supporting parents, schools, and caring adults
- Gone to soon - BCCSU: Resource to support navigating grief and loss as a result of substance use
All Substances
Island Health Services & Programs
Grant Funding Programs
Please check back regularly as we continue to include more grant funding options for youth and school communities.
- List of Grant Funding Programs
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School Grants
Youth Action Grants
School Newsletter Inserts
We are currently updating and adding health and wellness related newsletter inserts. If you are not seeing a newsletter insert for a specific health topic, please reach out to our team so we can work with you to meet your request.
- Newsletter inserts by health topic
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Climate Adaptation & Resilience
Dental & Oral Health
Hearing
Physical Activity & Literacy
Preventing Illness
Vision
For Immunizations and School Youth Clinics, contact your local Public Health Unit.
For general queries related to supporting school health and wellness initiatives, contact the Healthy Schools Team
Have edits or suggestions for this page? Please reach out at healthyschools@islandhealth.ca
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