Improving Adolescent Health Through State-Level School-Based Programmatic Strategies

Schools have direct contact with over 50 million students for at least 6 hours a day over 13 key years of their social, physical, and intellectual development. Schools can identify and prevent adolescent behaviors that put them at risk for HIV, STD and teen pregnancy. School curricula, policies, and services are generally locally determined by local education agencies (LEA), or local school districts, with guidance from the state education agency (SEA). Although educational decision making is made at the local level, state and territorial education agencies exist to help with local educational decision making. SEA provides technical assistance, guidance, policy requirements, legal requirements, regulations, and recommendations to LEA to inform educational decision making at the local level. LEA, in turn, provide training, resources, and technical assistance to schools. Funding will be used for the following purpose: to help build the capacity of state and territorial education agencies to assist local education agencies (districts and schools) to contribute to reducing HIV infection, other STD, and related risk behaviors among adolescents, as well as reducing disparities in HIV infection and other STD among specific adolescent sub-populations.State and territorial education agencies will improve the health of middle school and high school students by the following: collecting and using quality school-based surveillance data; strengthening guidance and recommendations on the following: HIV/STD instruction and delivery; strengthening access to/use of key health services; and establishing / maintaining safe and supportive environments. Schools play an important role in HIV/STD prevention. Schools can influence students’ risk for HIV and other STD infection, and related negative health outcomes, through parental engagement, health education, connection to physical and mental health services, and fostering connectedness among youth and trusted adults. This funding opportunity supports implementation of activities at multiple levels of the education system to achieve health goals.Funded recipients will be the legal entity who has responsibility for state-level public school district governance in that applicant’s jurisdiction.
Categories: Health.