 |
|
Tell the Commonwealth Readiness Project that Health Education Matters!
Governor Deval Patrick's advisors are currently creating recommendations for a 10-year strategic plan for the future of education in Massachusetts called the Commonwealth Readiness Project. Since there is an obvious need for kids to be healthy in order to achieve academic success, we must ensure the recommendations include heath education! They are currently putting the final touches on the Project, and that's why we need your help right now!
Please take a moment to send an email to the Project members and encourage them to include health education in the Commonwealth Readiness Project!
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Please include health education in the Commonwealth Readiness Project!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am writing to urge you to include comprehensive health education in the Commonwealth Readiness Project recommendations scheduled to be released this month. In light of the recently released Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, the enormous need for comprehensive health education in Massachusetts schools could not be clearer.
The new data tells us that only 15% of high school students are eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, only 41% of students report getting the recommended amount of physical activity, and 29% of middle school students are classified as overweight or at risk of being overweight. Additionally, since 2003 Massachusetts has seen a 4% drop in the percentage of high school students who report receiving education on HIV/AIDS.
No student can be fully prepared for college and the workforce if they have not received information that will enable them to make healthy decisions. Young people need access to comprehensive health education in order to make responsible decisions, prevent disease, reduce risky behaviors, and lead healthy lives. In addition, a student's health has a strong impact on their academic performance. Including health education in the Readiness Project recommendations would show that the Patrick administration understands the importance giving the young people of the Commonwealth the health education that they need and deserve.
Including health education in the Readiness Project recommendations would also demonstrate that educating the whole child includes giving them information about such critically important topics as nutrition, physical activity, mental health, safety and injury prevention, reproduction and sexuality, substance abuse and violence prevention.
Providing health education will enable our young people to graduate with the knowledge they need to stay safe and healthy, as well as achieve academic success. Access to health education should not be an accident of geography, it should be available to every young person in the Commonwealth. For these reasons, I urge you to include universal access to comprehensive health education in the Readiness Project recommendations.
Sincerely,
|
Campaign Launched:
May 21, 2008
|
The Readiness Project is a statewide initiative created by Governor Patrick in June of 2007, that involves over 200 educators, business leaders, and community leaders who are leading the development of a 10-year plan for the future of education in the Commonwealth. The complete report, to be released in the next few weeks, will provide recommendations that will guide the administration in making future investments and reforms in education.
Including health education in the Readiness Project report is vitally important. Increasing access to health education affords students the opportunity to learn about a wide range of important topics such as nutrition, physical activity, mental health, safety and injury prevention, reproduction and sexuality, substance abuse prevention, violence prevention, consumer health, growth and development, family life, interpersonal relationships, disease prevention, ecological health and community health. Risky behaviors that can result from a lack of health education are associated with lower academic achievement, student attendance, and graduation rates, while health education can increase student achievement and decision-making skills.
|
|
