Health Literate Schools: Whole school approach and organisational change to promote health literacy in the school setting (HeLit-Schools)
The aim of the "HeLit-Schools" project is to adapt the attributes of the "Health Literate Organisation" concept for the school setting in Germany. In addition, this approach will be intersected with the health promoting school approach. Schools are key settings to promote health and health literacy. By using the organisational approach we intended to optimize school structures and networks regarding health literacy. In this context, organisational change and development include the improvement of the whole school framework for the promotion of health literacy in the setting and in all actors involved. In the mid- and long-term, the health literate school approach should help to sustainably promote the personal health literacy of the school-aged children as well as the organisational health literacy of the whole school. This project will support the objective to make every school a health promoting school by making every school a health literacy promoting school. In this context, this project will specifically collaborate with health promoting school networks as well as further education and health networks. The project is attached to the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Literacy Research at Bielefeld University. Stakeholders from education and schools have a key role in this project, especially in the Bielefeld area and North Rhine Westphalia but national stakeholders as well. The project and its network should help to reduce barriers and improve school-related health activities aiming at merging education and health in the school setting. Examples from the US, Australia and Austria demonstrate the effectiveness of such approach. Health literacy as a concept should draw on existing competence models that are being used in schools already.
About the project
StaffProf. Dr. Ullrich Bauer