As the holidays near, BoardBuzz likes to reflect on the “cornucopia” that is the American student population.  Without a doubt, the cultural diversity of American students is a great asset.  However, effectively accommodating the wide variety of social, religious, and cultural beliefs of students and their families in the school environment is extremely challenging.  This is particularly true for efforts aimed at improving physical activity and nutrition, when cultural beliefs about food, weight, and leisure time may present barriers to effective communication and collaboration with parents, students, and others in the community.

But never fear!  A new field report from Action for Healthy Kids presents several success stories and lessons learned that schools and communities can apply to help bridge the cultural divide.

The report, Lessons for Engaging Diverse Communities to Create Healthy Schools and Kids, showcases successful strategies employed by Action for Healthy Kids state teams in Utah, New York, New Jersey, Idaho, and South Carolina to understand the unique challenges facing diverse schools and communities, communicate in culturally meaningful ways, and use culturally-competent methods to engage parents and other key community stakeholders.   The report also provides lessons learned, tips and techniques for improving the cultural sensitivity and increasing the relevance of childhood obesity and wellness initiatives. 

Cultural competency is important in addressing a wide variety of school health topics, not just obesity.  To learn more about disparities and addressing cultural differences in school health, check out NSBA’s School Health Issues in Communities of Color “101” packet.

Has your district found a way to bridge the cultural divide, particularly around school health issues?  Let us know about it!