2025
A Coalition for Whole Child Wellbeing
WholeHealthED seeks to work with colleagues in whole health learning practices, pediatrics and K-12 education to develop a research-based Coalition for Whole Child Wellbeing. Its’ purpose is to present to the nation research that describes the potent, mutually supporting outcomes of specific school-based practices which have contributed greatly to children’s health and wellbeing since at least 2000. In concert with parallels efforts via the CDC’s Whole School, Whole Community Whole Child (WSCC) and school SEL programs, these practices offer educators additional proven and effective means to offset the impacts of factors compromising children’s wellbeing and achievement.
Although powerful and widely available, these outcomes — and especially their upstream prevention and health promoting qualities — are not yet included in the many initiatives thus created to address the persistent impact of COVID and the child mental health crisis.
In early 2025, as the new administration settled in, very serious uncertainty about the federal government’s support for children’s health and education itself presents unprecedented challenges to pediatric care and to K-12 schools.
A research coalition concentrating and amplifying its members’ very considerable interdisciplinary knowledge bases and outcomes, their mutually reinforcing best practices, and long-standing dialogues with school, district, and state education leaders means that the Nation actually has a robust capacity it can tap to expedite mitigation of the dismal trajectory of ill-health confronting children and their paths to adulthood.
If interested, please get in touch with Taylor Walsh or click on the banner for the four-page Overview PDF.
