Promoting Healthy Behaviors

Schools are in a unique position to promote healthy behaviors. Most US children spend an average of 6 to 7 hours a day at school, which is a large part of their waking hours.^1–3This section highlights the importance of nutrition services, physical education and physical activity, sleep education, and social and emotional climate in schools.

Use our interactive Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (WSCC) to learn how its components relate to promoting healthy behaviors. If you’d like to see the WSCC model in action, visit our Virtual Healthy School.

Nutrition

Physical Education and Physical Activity

Out-of-School Time

School Employee Wellness

Sleep and Health

Healthy and Supportive School Environments

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model

National Center for Educational Statistics. Table 103.20. Percentage of the population 3 to 34 years old enrolled in school, by age group: Selected years, 1940 through 2015. Digest of Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d16/tables/dt16_103.20.asp?current=yesExternal. Accessed December 21, 2017.
National Center for Educational Statistics. Average number of hours in the school day and average number of days in the school year for public schools, by state: 2007–08. Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass0708_035_s1s.aspExternal. Accessed June 22, 2017.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health. A Day in the Life website. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/facts-and-stats/day-in-the-life/index.htmlExternal. Accessed December 20, 2017.