Are you a district looking to advance your Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) implementation? Email districtwellnesscoalition@actionforhealthykids.org for more information about the National School District Wellness Coalition.

In today’s society, a successful child is one that achieves academically. This narrow definition of success is often determined by high stakes test scores, thus preventing school staff from positioning a holistic, comprehensive, whole-child approach to student-centered, teacher-approved educational practices and policies. When we actively support and create equitable schools for our kids to be healthy, safe, challenged, supported and engaged, our students will succeed beyond what can be analyzed on a standardized test. School district leaders are key to reimagining traditional learning environments and academic success, reducing standardized outcomes and demanding a new education framework that embraces and supports the whole child.

To support school district leaders in implementing a whole child educational framework, Action for Healthy Kids  pioneered the Urban School Wellness Coalition (USWC) in 2013, a coalition of 33 of the country’s largest school districts, where key decision makers regularly convened as a community of practice to share information surrounding peer-approved best practices and to further advance urban school wellness.

In 2020, Action for Healthy Kids expanded the work of the Urban School Wellness Coalition significantly, to include new district members from urban and non-urban communities to provide a unique opportunity for district leaders to engage in a community of practice to learn best practices, and share successes and challenges. This expanded coalition, the National School District Wellness Coalition, represents 37 school districts nationwide and is working to translate the standards of the WSCC model into actionable and realistic policy, programs, and practices for coalition members and all districts nationwide.

Our vision is for all students to be cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically healthy in support of positive academic and life outcomes.

The National School District Wellness Coalition is committed to helping school districts inform, coordinate, enhance and measure the development and implementation of equitable WSCC-related practices and policies through the collective impact model to ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged, and to drive a national education agenda that supports the Whole Child.

Read the impact paper issued by the Urban School Wellness Coalition: Developing Healthy, Successful Urban Students Through School District Infrastructure.

Coalition Member Districts

Boston Public Schools (MA)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (NC)
Chicago Public Schools (IL)
Cleveland Public Schools (OH)
Columbus City Schools (OH)
Dallas Independent School District (TX)
Denver Public Schools (CO)
Des Moines Schools (IA)
Detroit Public Schools Community District (MI)
Duval County Public Schools (FL)
El Paso Independent School District (TX)
Fort Worth Independent School District (TX)
Fresno Unified School District (CA)
Fulton County Schools (GA)
Indian Prairie School District (IL)
Jeffco Public Schools (CO)
Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY)
Los Angeles Unified School District (CA)
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (TN)
Mesa Public Schools (AZ)
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (TN)
Milwaukee Public Schools (WI)
Minneapolis Public Schools (MN)
New York City Department of Education (NY)
Oakland Unified School District (CA)
Oklahoma City Public Schools (OK)
Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, FL)
Pasadena Independent School District (TX)
Pittsburgh Public Schools (PA)
Portland Public Schools (OR)
Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD)
San Diego Unified School District (CA)
San Francisco Unified School District (CA)
School District of Indian River County (FL)
School District of Palm Beach County (FL)
School District of Philadelphia (PA)
Seattle Public Schools (WA)