Coordinated School Health (CSH) is an effective system designed to connect health (physical, emotional and social) with learning. This coordinated approach improves children’s health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, communities and the schools working together.

The involvement of parents, families and community is the glue that binds the CSH. Full involvement of these entities as partners in the educational process provides valuable input, increases the commitment of all partners and ensures positive educational and health outcomes.

Coordinated School Health is not a program, but is a systematic approach to promoting student health that emphasizes needs assessment; planning based on data, sound science, and analysis of gaps and redundancies in school health programming; and evaluation.

The CSH approach consists of eight major components.  By definition, all Coordinated School Health Components work together to improve the lives of students and their families.  Although these components are listed separately, it is their composite that allows CSH to have significant impact. The eight components include: health education, health services, counseling, psychological and social services, nutrition, physical education/physical activity, school staff wellness, healthy school environment and student/ parent/community involvement.