Motivating Pediatricians to Become Involved in
School Health

Understanding the history, scope, and character of school health programs is crucial to becoming involved in school health. At recent national AAP meeting programs and in responses to AAP surveys, pediatricians across the United States have been asking for information on how to get started in school health. What concrete steps can the pediatrician take at the local level to begin working with the schools in his or her community?

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Pediatricians can fulfill many specific roles in school health within a school district

• Advocate
• Trainer or consultant
• Advisor
• Referral agent
• Recipient of referrals
• Communication link for parents and schools
• Health educator or promoter of fitness and nutrition wellness programs in schools

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Pediatricians can be a general resource to schools and school health or other community programs by

• Advising school boards on health policy issues.
• Helping develop health alerts or bulletins
• Visiting schools
• Encouraging collaboration among pediatricians in the community on issues that affect schools, such as appropriate times for children to return to school following illnesses
• Conferring with school physicians on specific cases
• Donating time for screening and physicals for children who do not regularly see physicians

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What are some of the first steps a pediatrician can take to become involved with schools?

• Talk to school staff and find out what the local school district is already doing for its health programs and services.
• Introduce himself or herself to the school nurse and staff from other school-based, school-linked, and community organizations that serve children.
• Become a school board member or join a school advisory board or a coordinating council for school health.
• Offer assistance drafting or revising school policies related to health issues such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), communicable diseases, or tobacco use.
• Volunteer to provide health screenings or to develop and maintain a school-based health clinic.
• Serve as a technical consultant for selecting or developing health education curricula for use in the school.

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• Help a school develop a staff health promotion plan.
• Collaborate with the school to develop a training program for health care professionals in training, including medical students and residents, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals.
• Assist in evaluating the school health program.
• Offer to speak at meetings to advocate for and support improved school health programs.
• Conduct a community assessment of the health needs of adolescents.
• Help the school staff identify essential health references or use their Internet access to answer health-related questions.