By Jessica Lawrence, MS | March 9, 2015
Director, Cairn Guidance

“Young lady, let me tell you something. There are people who take life by the reins and forge full speed ahead, and people who sit back and wait for things to happen to them. I think I know which category you fit into.”

—Citizen in Dayville, OR, June 2013

Two years ago this month I prepared for a goal I had daydreamed about since I was a teen. I completed a bicycle ride across the United States, cycling 4,197 miles solo from the Oregon coast to the Rhode Island shore.

My goal wasn’t only to make it safely to the east coast. I was raising funds for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and I intended to enjoy the ride. I also wanted to model that balance of work and play we all strive for on a daily basis. I scrambled to leave town while sustaining school health contracts, hoping to maintain communication with my clients while on the journey.

And did it work? Yes! This was the most amazing adventure of my life so far.

By John Henry Ledwith | February 5, 2015
National Sales Manager, ETR

Happy February! What a great time to plan some dynamic school health activities for the coming months. In most parts of the country we still have some super-cold days ahead. Those are the days when Physical Education classes move indoors, and everyone tries to figure out what to do with a bunch of energetic, slightly stir-crazy kids.

And we’ll also start seeing the thaw into spring—the occasional crisp, sunny day, that changing angle of light that tells us the earth is moving on its axis and, yes, baseball season is coming again!

Indoors, outdoors—it doesn’t matter. These are all perfect days to support Healthy Behavior Outcomes for your student population.

By John Henry Ledwith | December 9, 2014

One of the truly rewarding things about the work I do is that I get to interact with school professionals on both the local and national levels.

When I talk to people in the local school world—teachers, health educators, administrators—I often hear questions such as:

• Where can I go for more information on school health?
• Whom can I talk to about the health issues in my school community?
• Where can I engage in conversations that will help me grow as a health educator and contribute my own ideas to the process?

Of course, ETR is always available to respond to and answer any questions we can. But the real key is building your network with other classroom professionals. And there are many ways to do that.

By John Henry Ledwith | November 13, 2014

I love teacher trainings! As long as I’ve been going to these events—and I’ve gone to a good many—I always learn something new.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Buffalo, New York, with a group of about 80 teachers being introduced to their new health curriculum—ETR’s signature product, HealthSmart. The training was facilitated by Susan Telljohann, PhD, one of the authors of HealthSmart, a master trainer, and a leading thinker in school health theory and development today.

This was quite the group. First of all (and speaking as a native son) these folks were New Yorkers! They were smart, dynamic, personal, and totally willing to participate.

Second...

By ETR | November 3, 2014

What should schools be doing to keep students healthy? Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, has written a clear and cogent column in Education Week outlining the steps schools can take. While Ebola is raising concerns across the nation, influenza poses greater risks in the U.S. at present. He describes steps schools and communities can take to prevent both.

By John Henry Ledwith | October 14, 2014

There is some real excitement going around in the school health world. I just saw an impressive portion of it first hand at the 2014 American School Health Association (ASHA) conference in Portland, Oregon. This is one of the few places where a national audience of teachers, administrators and academics get together to focus on the future of kids through the vehicle of school health. This remarkable group of people has pumped up the volume and aimed the field towards a new level.

By Jessica Colvin, MSW, MPH, PPSC

When you were in high school did you ever wish you had a safe place to get support? I’m lucky enough to work in a program that allows students to do just that. The Wellness Program helps students access services to support their emotional and physical health, and feel empowered to use those services when they need them. And not just while they’re in school, but beyond school and into their adult lives.