|
SESSION: Y5 |
| ROOM |
|
| DATE |
Thursday, 18 June 2015 |
| TIME |
2:00-3:15pm |
| ABSTRACT CATEGORY |
Youth Track |
ABSTRACT TITLE |
Future Leaders: Connecting Partners, Connecting Students
|
ABSTRACT SUMMARY |
Adolescents' school connectedness has shown to be a strong indicator of positive academic outcomes including increased self esteem, higher extracurricular engagement, higher grades, and test scores.This workshop discusses the collaborative project that brought together school health center personnel, a nonprofit partner, and the funding community to increase school connectivity by utilizing the resources available through the Loyola school health center and EverThrive Illinois.
|
ABSTRACT DESCRIPTION |
Adolescents' school connectedness has shown to be a strong indicator of positive academic outcomes including: increased self esteem, higher extracurricular engagement, higher grades, and test scores. Further, the Center for Disease Control notes that students that feel higher school connectedness are less likely to engage in risk behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use, other drug use, and violence and gang involvement. Growing research shows that, in adolescents, a greater health improvement impact may be achieved by enhancing protective factors that help students avoid negative behaviors that place them at risk for adverse health and educational outcomes.
Schools with school health centers (SHCs) are in a unique position to increase adolescent school connectivity. Factors that can increase school connectedness include adult support, belonging to a positive peer group, commitment to education, and creating positive school environment. SHCs are are often considered a safe space within the school where students can receive much needed health care and support. SHCs a natural enclave for students to receive the emotional support from adults as well as peers.
For a second year, EverThrive Illinois' Illinois School Based Health Alliance has partnered with Loyola's School Based Health Center at Proviso East High School to co-facilitate a youth group centered on health literacy and civic engagement to increase school connectedness. Students that participated indicated in their evaluations that they, "Enjoyed coming to the group because they could talk about anything and there is no judgment," and that they "liked the way we talk freely and not feel like something is wrong with one another". Topics facilitated aligned with the adolescent public health priorities dictated by the Chicago Department of Public Health including teen domestic violence, drug and alcohol prevention, nutrition, behavioral health, and youth activism.
As part of the pilot project, students from the youth group will participate in EverThrive Illinois' School Health Center Advocacy Day. At this event, students interact with youth from around the state and are given opportunities to practice leadership skills including public speaking, community organizing, and facilitating a meeting with their state legislators.
This workshop discusses the collaborative project that brought together school health center personnel, a nonprofit partner, and the funding community to increase school connectivity by utilizing the resources available through the school health and EverThrive Illinois'. We will discuss data collected that measured students health knowledge, discuss the organizing strategies taught to students, discuss the advocacy efforts at Advocacy Day, and discuss the change in school connectedness that we measured.Additionally, a discussion will be had regarding the challenges and barriers met working with school administrators and how those barriers were overcome. This workshop would be appropriate for youth participating in this year’s convention as their input and perspective would enrich the conversation and discussion around youth engagement.
|
PRESENTER(S) |
NAME: Anna Burnham BA ORGANIZATION: EverThrive Illinois
NAME: Adriane Van Zwoll MJ, MSW, BSW, BA ORGANIZATION: Loyola University Chicago: School of Nursing
|
| |
AUDIENCE |
ADMINISTRATORS: N |
PRIMARY HEALTH: N |
MENTALHEALTH: Y |
ORGANIZATIONAL: Y |
PUBLIC HEALTH: Y |
EDUCATION: N |
YOUTH: Y |
| |
| |
|
