Awards and Recognition
America's Healthiest Schools 2023
Congratulations to TWO of our schools that won awards for being one of America's Healthiest Schools! These awards are given out by Alliance for a Healthier Generation to recognize schools that are currently implementing best practices for student wellness. Below are the two schools that received an award, and the category they received them in.
D6 Online Academy: Increasing Family and Community Engagement
Jackson Elementary: Bolstering Physical Education and Activity
America's Healthiest Schools 2019
Healthy School Champion 2017
Congratulations to Dos Rios Elementary School! We are proud to announce that they were recognized as a 2017 Healthy School Champion and won the $300 Promising School Award for their school health efforts. This is a highly competitive award and recognition. Applications were open to all schools within Colorado.
As one of 46 schools named as a 2017 Healthy School Champion, their work was honored at the 2017 Colorado Healthy Schools Summit: Putting the Pieces Together, presented by The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI), Colorado Coalition for Healthy Schools, and the Colorado Healthy Schools Collective Impact, and sponsored by The Colorado Health Foundation, on Friday, March 3, at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, 360 Union Blvd, Lakewood.
“The Healthy School Summit was a great opportunity for schools from across the state to collaborate and learn about student wellness. The breakout sessions were extremely relevant to all areas of student wellness - from nutrition and exercise, to addressing the mental and emotional needs of our students. The Colorado Department of Education is a huge supporter of our students and our work around student wellness. It was neat to see schools from all over involved in such important initiatives!” said Assistant Principal Elizabeth Urich.
The annual celebration recognized schools that create and support a healthy school environment and also successfully implement effective school health efforts that support student learning.
“At CEI, we have seen how impactful school health efforts can be on student success and this annual celebration allows us to recognize and celebrate schools that are succeeding at this important work,” said CEI Director of School Health Amy Dyett. “These schools have successfully demonstrated the critical link between student health and academic achievement.”
Schools were awarded based on their implementation of best practices in school health through an assessment tool called Smart Source, a narrative outlining their work, and letters of support. “For the winning schools, health and wellness is embedded into the culture and systems. It’s about having an intentional investment to meet the needs of their students and staff in order to achieve academically,” added Dyett.
The program has granted more than $300,000 in awards over the past seven years in the range of $300 to $7,500 per school.
About The Colorado Education Initiative:
The Colorado Education Initiative is an independent nonprofit working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, educators, schools, districts, and other public education stakeholders to accelerate educational improvement and innovation across Colorado. CEI envisions that every student in Colorado is prepared and unafraid to succeed in school, work, and life, and ready to take on the challenges of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
About Colorado Coalition of Healthy Schools:
The Colorado Coalition for Healthy Schools supports statewide infrastructure and systems to promote healthy schools through policy, surveillance and partnerships. The Coalition is managed through an interagency partnership between the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
About Colorado’s Healthy Schools Collective Impact:
Colorado’s Healthy Schools Collective Impact represents a diverse set of stakeholders who are passionate about students, health, and education in Colorado. Working together, we are partnering in new, better ways — thanks to a deliberate investment of time and money. Our vision is that all Colorado youth are healthy and reach their full potential. Our bold goal, is that by 2025, all Colorado K12 public schools provide an environment and culture that integrates health and wellness equitably for all students and staff.
About The Colorado Health Foundation:
The Colorado Health Foundation works to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by ensuring that all Colorado kids are fit and healthy and that all Coloradans achieve stable, affordable and adequate health coverage to improve their health with support from a network of primary health care and community services. To advance our mission, the Foundation engages the community through grantmaking, public policy and advocacy, private sector engagement, strategic communications, evaluation for learning and assessment and by operating primary care residency training programs. For more information, please visit WWW.COLORADOHEALTH.ORG.