Whole Health Learning Models for K-12 WholeHealthED’s Whole Health Studies program intentionally combines several well-known and understood school-based wellness activities into a single unified learning experience implemented in concert with social and emotional learning. The goal is that this learning crosses traditional grade clusters, as do math and language arts, to create a continuity of learning from K through 12th grade. The Prototype: Spring 2019, South New Jersey The first prototype was developed in the fall of 2018 by our advisor Kate Tumelty Felice EdD. The pilot was implemented for the spring semester 2019 at Lakeside Middle School in Millville, NJ, soon followed by three other middle schools in southern New Jersey. A very favorable assessment was completed at the end of this first semester. Check in on the project here. Convenings A core mission for WholeHealthED is bringing together stakeholders of all kinds who work in different quadrants of what is a national movement to provide children with deeper and more comprehensive experiences with and learning about the factors that influence their health and well-being. Balancing Academics and Wellbeing During School Openings, 2020 Our July 2020 meeting bringing together WholeHealthED advisors, partners, and collaborators in nature education, school gardens, cognition supporting physical activities, nutrition and mindfulness aligned with SEL and Whole Child practices. The goal: to help elevate awareness among school and district leaders that the tools, methods and expertise that can help offset the affects of stress, trauma and anxiety can often be found in, or not far from, their own schools and neighborhoods. Results and plans for sharing the outcomes are here. WholeHealthED 2018: Inaugural Symposium The first meeting of individuals involved in the myriad domains that fall into school wellness programs took place at Georgetown University in Washington, DC June 28, 2018. This was a seminal occasion to bring together leaders in the specific fields who had previously not had the occasion to meet and share their work with other fields. See a Summary and background here. Whole Health, Whole Child & Wellbeing Research WholeHealthED works to bring together researchers from traditional child health and development fields, including those devoted to behavioral and addiction prevention, with those who specialize in the whole health activities found on schoolyards: nature and the garden, nutrition, physical activity and mindfulness, and their contributions to child we’ll-being and resilience. These are not yet viewed in a coherent fashion, but with increasing concerns for child mental health and social and emotional improvement, we have seen growing interest in understanding the combined potential for these research areas.