Share:

Valerie Ubbes was appointed to the National Consensus for School Health Education

Valerie Ubbes

The American School Health Association, Eta Sigma Gamma national health education honorary society, Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education, Society for Public Health Education, and Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education announced the launch of the National Consensus on School Health Education.

The initiative will focus on what students and out-of-school youth need to know and be able to do to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle and to succeed in school. Products of the initiative will serve as resources for educators interested in quality school health education as a component of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. Developers will address critical contemporary health education issues such as social justice and anti-racism; social and emotional learning; mental health and trauma; misinformation, disinformation, and social media; and virtual learning; among others.

The National Consensus initiative aligns the strengths of leading national organizations with members that provide health education leadership as classroom teachers, local school district- and state-level health education directors, curriculum developers, teacher educators, and researchers as well as additional experts in the field. The following health and education experts, who were selected using 12 criteria to ensure diverse representation, will develop the products:

Leaders:

  • Dr. David A. Birch, Professor Emeritus, Department of Health Science, The University of Alabama
  • Dr. Elisa “Beth” McNeill, Clinical Professor, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University Members (as of June 14, 2021):
  • Dr. Dolores Cormier-Zenon, National Board-Certified Teacher, Cofounder and President, PC2 Educational Foundation, and a founder and vice-chair of the National Board Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators; and President, ASCD
  • Tina Dake, Health Teacher, Whitmer High School, Washington Local Schools, Ohio
  • Dr. Bonnie Edmondson, Graduate Program Coordinator and Associate Professor, School Health Education, Southern Connecticut State University; former Program Manager for School Health Programs and Education Consultant for Student Supports and Wraparound Services, Connecticut Department of Education
  • Dr. Deborah Fortune, Professor, Department of Public Health Education, North Carolina Central University and President, Society for Public Health Education
  • Dr. Tasha Guadalupe, Director, Health and Physical Education Curriculum and Instruction, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia • Kayla Jackson, Program Director, American Association of School Administrators, Washington, DC (invited)
  • Dr. Lloyd Kolbe, Professor Emeritus of Applied Health Science, Indiana University School of Public Health and former Director, CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health
  • Dr. David Lohrmann, Professor Emeritus of Applied Health Science, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington
  • Kathleen Middleton, President and CEO, ToucanEd, California
  • Dr. Holly Moses, Instructional Assistant Professor and Internship Coordinator, Department of Health Education and Behavior, College of Health and Human Performance, University of Florida
  • Dr. Rosemary Reilly-Chammat, Coordinator, School Health Programs, Rhode Island Department of Education and Immediate Past-President, Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education
  • Dr. Denise Seabert, Dean, College of Health and Human Services, Fresno State University and Co-chair, National Committee on the Future of School Health Education
  • Dr. Marlene Tappe, Chair, College of Allied Health and Nursing, Minnesota State University – Mankato
  • Dr. Howard Taras, Professor, Center for Community Health, School of Medicine, University of California – San Diego and Physician, San Diego Unified School District (invited)
  • Dr. Susan Telljohann, Professor Emeritus of Health Education, University of Toledo
  • Dr. Valerie Ubbes, Professor; Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health; College of Education, Health, and Society; Miami University (Ohio)
  • Dr. Kayce Solari Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, College of Education, University of Houston and President, American School Health Association

Two additional classroom teachers will participate pending their districts’ approvals. Technical advisors and others will be invited depending on the needs of development processes.

As products are developed, additional national organizations, stakeholders, and others will be involved in a formal review process that will include national, state, and local experts in health education. Additional review processes will include the field at large and the public. Work will be accomplished in accordance with the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession.

The National Consensus on School Health Education is designed to be collaborative and inclusive. Organizations and individuals with a role in health education are invited to join. Founding partners share collaborative decision making. The Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education serves as the convening organization.