Healthier Generation Announces Largest Number of America’s Healthiest Schools in Program History

Alliance for a Healthier Generation (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, the greatest number of awardees since the program’s inception. Supported by Harmony SEL at National University, Kaiser Permanente, and Kohl’s, this recognition honors schools for their achievements in advancing the physical, mental, and social-emotional health of students, staff, and families.  

Schools are recognized for implementing best practices in up to nine topic areas, based on criteria in Healthier Generation’s Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment: 

1. Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning, presented in collaboration with Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente  

2. Cultivating Staff Well-Being, presented in collaboration with Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente  

3. Increasing Family & Community Engagement, presented in collaboration with Kohl’s 

4. Improving Nutrition & Food Access 

5. Implementing Local School Wellness Policy  

6. Bolstering Physical Education & Activity  

7. Enriching Health Education  

8. Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools 

9. Supporting School Health Services 
    

Fourteen schools among this year’s awardees earned the All-Star distinction by achieving recognition in all nine topic areas: Bridgeport Elementary School (Calif.), Budlong Elementary School (Ill.), Cedarcreek Elementary School (Calif.), Crestwood Steam Magnet School (Calif.), Emblem Academy (Calif.), James Foster Elementary School (Calif.), Lynch Elementary School (Fla.), Mountainview Elementary School (Calif.), Palmer Elementary School (Ill.), Plum Canyon Elementary School (Calif.), Ponce De Leon Elem School (Fla.), Rosedell Elementary School (Calif.), Santa Clarita Elem School (Calif.), and West Creek Academy (Calif.). 

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. As honorees of the recognition program, schools reinforce their central role as powerful agents of impact and change for their community at-large. 

Healthier Generation created the America’s Healthiest Schools recognition program to promote health equity by promoting policies and practices that address historic and ongoing systemic inequities, especially for Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) and youth from under-resourced communities. Among this year’s America’s Healthiest Schools, more than 75% of the awardees are Title I schools, and more than half serve a majority BIPOC students. 

“Today, we invite the nation to join us in thanking America’s Healthiest Schools for their commitment to prioritizing the health of their students, staff, communities and families,” said Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer at Healthier Generation. “In these challenging times, these awardees are a testament to the critical role schools play in establishing whole health as foundational and essential to learning environments -- so that all children may thrive.” 

On Oct. 13 and 14, Healthier Generation will gather school representatives in Washington, D.C. for the America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit to honor awardees and this year’s Corporate Hero, Kohl’s, for prioritizing the whole health needs of staff and students. More than 450 teachers, administrators, and thought leaders in health will come together to network, share best practices, and recognize the achievements of these distinguished schools. 

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. 

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About Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a leading children's health organization that advances equitable whole child health. Driven by our passion to ensure that every mind, every body, and every young person is healthy and ready to succeed, our work has reached over 31 million young people and 54,000 schools across the country. To learn more and help make a difference, visit HealthierGeneration.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.