Supporting Youth in Schools

Why this needs our attention

Children and adolescents spend more awake hours in school than in any other setting. School environments should be as healthy as possible to help students learn. In addition, data continually shows that the longer kids stay in school the better their long-term health outcomes.

What Lurie Children’s is doing to address it

Lurie Children’s works in close partnership with Chicago Public Schools and other school districts across the State to support student health and well-being. Given the interconnectedness of health and education, these partnerships are essential to our mission.

Examples of Lurie Children’s engagement in schools include:

• Mobile Health Program, to help provide primary care and immunizations to keep students healthy and in compliance with medical requirements
• Mental and behavioral health support through our Center for Childhood Resilience, which provides schools trauma trainings, school-based group interventions, and support for multidisciplinary Behavioral Health Teams.
• Expert speakers/panelists for school-based teacher and parent training and education sessions, including trauma-responsive practice, injury prevention, sexual health, obesity prevention and active lifestyle, LGBTQ+ cultural competency, gender inclusivity and substance use.
• Care coordination services and education liaison to help Lurie Children’s patients transition back to school settings.
• Health and wellness policy implementation support directly to schools and indirectly to schools through partner trainings
• Support in policy development, including school discipline, concussion, overall health and wellness, and gender inclusivity policies
• Workforce education opportunities for up to 200 high school students each year
• Referrals through our ConnecTeen Program for pregnant and parenting students to home visiting programs in each community area
• Facilitation of youth-led research and advocacy programs to address substance use, teen pregnancy support and violence prevention
• Empowering schools to be prepared for Sudden Cardiac Arrest emergencies through Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory)

For more information about Lurie Children’s partnership in schools, please contact Anna Browar, School Partnerships Manager.

Download the full Summary of Lurie Children’s partnership activities with Chicago Public Schools.