Tips
Consider some of the following strategies for engaging different members of the school community for your Healthy Schools team:
- Many schools already have existing teams, clubs, or classes with a common purpose aligned with Healthy Schools, such as a Student Leadership class, a Safe and Accepting Schools Team, a Diversity Club, a Positive School Climate Team, or Eco Schools. Consider leveraging these teams, where appropriate, to avoid duplication!
- Hold an event for staff and students recruiting team members (e.g., a recruitment/sign-up table); be sure to provide information on what Healthy Schools is and what you will be doing as a part of the Healthy Schools Team.
- Think about the different roles and responsibilities needed for your Healthy Schools Team and consider sharing information specific to those roles to reach students with different interests and abilities (e.g., social media lead, writer for school announcements, activity/event photographers/videographers, meeting note takers).
- Consider outreach to existing student groups who experience marginalization in your school community (e.g., Gay Straight Alliance, Black Student Alliance).
- Consider including students of different ages/grades and abilities when creating your Healthy Schools Team (consider the different strengths, needs, and interests of students at your school).
- Leverage whole-school events (e.g., assemblies or announcements) to share information and invite students to be a part of the team.
- Post information and a sign-up sheet in a variety of spaces and communal areas, like on a school bulletin board, in the gym, and in designated classrooms.
- Leverage staff meetings and school council meetings to share information with school staff on the Healthy Schools Recognition Program and being a part of the team.
- Leverage parent letters/emails and add information on the Healthy Schools Recognition Program and team, inviting interested parent(s)/caregiver(s) to participate.
- Identify how community partnerships can contribute to your Healthy School; Identify local community resources and supports (e.g., services, organizations, programs, community leaders) that you can connect with.
- In Ontario, many public health units have public health nurses and other health professionals dedicated to promoting Comprehensive School Health. Contact your local health unit to learn about the supports available in your area.
Prompts
- What blend of students and adult allies might work well together on our school team to address our health and well-being goals? For example, students with leadership experience, students who aren’t typically engaged in school activities, school staff already running events and clubs that support our priority areas, community partners, and Elders/Knowledge Keepers.
- What targeted outreach strategies might solidify true engagement across our school community?
Support Tools
Use the Sample Recruitment Messages as inspiration for sharing information with your school community about your Healthy Schools Team, and to recruit team members! Feel free to adapt this messaging to reflect your team’s purpose and share recruitment messaging through a variety of communication channels. All recruitment efforts should be inclusive, respectful, and voluntary.
The Sample Step 1 Journal Responses provide sample answers to the journal questions in Step 1: Assemble Your Team. Your team can use these as a reference to understand how to answer the journal questions, or get ideas for what a Healthy Schools journey might look like at this step.