For Educators

Teachers, administrators, school board members or other educators are often the drivers in bringing more health services to schools. This section is designed to help you get started in this important endeavor!

Refer to our toolkit – From Vision to Reality: How to Build a School-Based Health Center from the Ground Up –  to get more details on any of the sections below.

There are many paths to developing or expanding your school’s health services or center, and there is no one “right” way. We suggest that you begin by considering the following questions:

  • What is your school doing well?
  • What do your students need that your school doesn’t currently offer?
  • How can you build on existing programs, staff expertise, and established partnerships?

Key Start-Up Activities

Below, you will find a list of key start-up activities that have helped many schools and districts develop strong, sustainable school health programs. These start-up activities can happen in different orders, depending upon your school’s context and resources. You may also want to start by reviewing these Key Steps in Planning an SBHC