At a glance
- School staff can give their best when they feel their best. And a school employee wellness program can help.
- Schools and school districts can provide an employee wellness program that includes healthy eating and physical activity.
- Fostering the physical and mental health of school employees also helps to support students’ health and academic success.
Why it's important
Every school employee, no matter their role, contributes to a school’s mission. School staff can give their best when they feel their best—and a school employee wellness program can help.
When staff model these healthy behaviors, they can reinforce them with students.
Additionally, supporting school employee wellness programs can:
- Improve staff retention and productivity.
- Decrease employee absenteeism.
- Decrease employee health care costs.
Resource
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) toolkit will help you start a school employee wellness program today.
School Employee Wellness: A Toolkit for Supporting the Implementation of School Employee Wellness in Districts/Schools
School Employee Wellness: A Toolkit for Supporting the Implementation of School Employee Wellness in Districts/Schools
Strategies to create an employee wellness program
- Gather data and information to determine the nutrition and physical activity needs of school staff members. Also, assess the availability of existing school employee wellness activities and resources.
- Refer to CDC's Worksite Health ScoreCard—it's a great way to access your school’s wellness program.
- Encourage administrative support for and staff involvement in school employee wellness.
- If you don't yet have a school employee wellness program, use this tip sheet for help with starting a wellness program today.
- Develop, carry out, and evaluate healthy eating and physical activity programs for all school employees.
Suicide and crisis lifeline
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available now. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org