HEALTHY & THRIVING SCHOOLS
Academic Co-Lead: Jacquelin Rankine, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh
Academic Co-Lead: Anne Marie Kuchera, MS, MA, RD, LPC , Director of Community Health, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Community Co-Lead: Kathi Elliott, DNP, MSW, CRNP, CEO Black Girls Equity Alliance
Community Co-Lead: James Fogarty, Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative, Executive Director, A+ Schools
Research-practice partnerships that examine the intersections of health and education and uplift interventions that promote systems integration are the focus for this collaborative. This collaborative seeks to strengthen connectivity across multiple programs and partners providing innovative services in schools and building the practice-based evidence for co-created interventions. Simultaneously, communicating about locally available data and providing research-informed guidance to schools are core activities intended to help reduce chronic absenteeism and school suspensions.
Enhancing Student Resiliency Through Community Collaboration
Our unique, community-centered approach emphasizes racial equity and healing justice to enhance trauma-sensitive practices in schools and strengthen integration of health, educational, and community services and supports (i.e., systems integration). By leveraging strengths and strategies co-created with students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners, we aim to boost student resiliency and help them thrive.
The use of a healing justice framework presents many opportunities to highlight many positive examples of thriving and resilience among children, families, and communities. With this, we change the narrative and perceptions toward positive future orientation for our youth and away from society’s focus on negative behaviors. Instead, we prioritize strategies that enhance resiliency and promote relational healing at the core of our approach. Through jointly developed and delivered program interventions we build our collective understanding of the underlying and adjacent causes of chronic absenteeism to improve attendance and strengthen students’ connection to school.
Trauma’s impacts on school outcomes include:
- Higher absenteeism
- Lower academic achievement
- Reduced graduation rates
- Increased risk of unhealthy coping behaviors
Anchor Partners and Initiatives — Supporting the Intersections of Health and Education
The Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative, coordinated by A+ Schools, has served over 20,000 students and families in our region. Through bimonthly meetings, lunch and learns, and an annual summit, Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative members have the space to learn from and about each other, and the organizational support for students to take meaningful action. This space helps to reduce redundancies in service provision, helps foster new connections and facilitates a powerful network that is building a deep understanding of the issues impacting school attendance and working to solve them. Through its “Circle our Schools” Workgroup, the Collaborative provides direct resources for critical supports like tutoring, transportation, health, mental health supports, family engagement, space improvements, student enrichment opportunities, and school safety initiatives.
Coordinated by Gwen’s Girls, the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA) is a key partner in implementation of supportive interventions for youth. In response to growing awareness of national and local inequities experienced by Black girls, Gwen’s Girls hosts an annual equity summit to amplify youth voice and advocacy that informs and motivates actions to address inequities.
A key action group of BGEA is a coalition focused on implementation of comprehensive sexual health education within Pittsburgh public schools, led by YOUniversal Education.
Asset Mapping/Connectivity Mapping: In conjunction with the TPS Adolescent Health Collaborative, the Healthy and Thriving Schools Collaborative encourages connectivity within each school and school district so that community partners and school staff are aware of the available assets and resources, referral processes, and shared evaluation.
Prevention Programming: The TPS Adolescent Health Collaborative offers training in prevention programs implemented in schools. For example, Expect Respect is a school-based, trauma-focused youth leadership and support group program. Community facilitators are trained to implement this curriculum with students during the school day.
Monitoring: The Healthy Allegheny Teens Survey (HATS) is a comprehensive survey developed in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department and The University of Pittsburgh. It is designed for high school students (grades 9-12) and focuses on understanding their health behaviors and experiences. The survey was administered to students at area public schools during the 2023-2024 school year in an anonymous and confidential manner, using an online platform.
The goal of HATS is to assess various aspects of teen health, identifying strengths and challenges, as well as barriers to accessing care. The information gathered will help guide improvements in programs, services, and interventions in both the school and the wider community, ensuring that resources are effectively aligned with the needs of students. The survey covers six key health domains as well as additional questions about social supports: 1) Unintentional Injuries & Violence: This includes behaviors related to accidents and interpersonal violence; 2) Tobacco Use: Information about smoking, vaping, and other tobacco-related behaviors; 3) Alcohol and Other Drug Use: Focuses on substance use, including alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, and vaping; 4) Sexual Behavior: Questions about sexual health and behaviors; 5) Dietary Behaviors: Includes eating habits, nutrition, and food choices; 6) Physical Activity: Covers the level of exercise and physical activity among teens.