Alliance for a Healthier Generation, one of the nation’s preeminent children’s health organizations, today announced America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2022-2023 school year: 781 schools across 36 states received recognition, the greatest number of awardees since the program’s inception.
117 Kentucky Schools received the honors, including 9 schools in the Barren County School System; Austin Tracy and Park City Elementary schools in 8 of the 9 topic areas; Barren County High School and Barren County Middle School, as well as Eastern, North Jackson, Red Cross and Temple Hill Elementary Schools in 7 topic areas; and Hiseville Elementary in 5 topic areas.
Bowling Green Independent Schools has 3 elementary schools on the list; Parker-Bennett-Curry, Potter Gray, and W. R. McNeill, each with achievements in one topic area.
Schools are recognized for implementing best practices in up to nine topic areas, based on criteria in Healthier Generation’s Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment:
- Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning
- Cultivating Staff Well-Being
- Increasing Family & Community Engagement
- Improving Nutrition & Food Access
- Implementing Local School Wellness Policy
- Bolstering Physical Education & Activity
- Enriching Health Education
- Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools; and
- Supporting School Health Services
Healthier Generation’s signature recognition program honors schools’ extraordinary efforts to advance the cycle of achievement in whole child health equity for students, staff, and families while grappling with pandemic-related learning loss, high rates of vaping and nicotine addiction, a youth mental health crisis, and other challenges.
America’s Healthiest Schools is one of the country’s longest-running nationwide recognition programs honoring schools for achievements in supporting the whole health needs of students and school staff. Visit HealthierGeneration.org/HealthiestSchools to view 2023’s America’s Healthiest Schools.
