Awards Program

The Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) have created an awards program to recognize schools and school districts which demonstrate commitment to the health of their employees by implementing school employee wellness programs. The awards program is based on the nine steps for establishing a school employee wellness program, outlined in School Employee Wellness: A Guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation’s Schools.

Nine Steps for Establishing a School Employee Wellness (SEW) Program

1. Obtain administrative support

2. Identify resources

3. Identify a leader

4. Organize a committee

5. Gather and analyze data

6. Develop a plan

7. Implement the plan

8. Evaluate and adapt the program

9. Sustain the program

AWARD LEVELS

The program includes three different levels of awards:

BRONZE: Developed School Employee Wellness Program Plan
Criteria include:

• Documented administrative support
• Completed resource analysis
• Identified SEW leader and/or committee
• Completed needs assessment (includes gathering baseline health-related costs to school/school district, and identifying the interests of school employees)
• Developed SEW plan (includes at minimum a mission statement, goals, measurable objectives, activities to meet objectives, and a budget)

SILVER: Implemented School Employee Wellness Program
Criteria include:

• Met all Bronze criteria
• Implemented SEW plan in two health areas identified by the needs assessment

GOLD: Evaluate and Adapt School Employee Wellness Program
Criteria include:

• Met all of the Bronze and Silver criteria
• Implemented SEW plan in two additional health areas identified by the needs assessment
• Evaluated SEW program annually (includes process and outcome)
• Sustained SEW program for at least two years

AWARD PROCESS

A review board has been established for each award level that includes three individuals, one of whom will be a person from a school with an existing school employee wellness program. Each review board member will read and score all applications received for that award level.  After all applications have been reviewed, an average score for each application will be computed based on the three reviews.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Up to three applicants from each award level will receive special recognition for their efforts that includes grants (Bronze $250, Silver $500, Gold $1000) to be reinvested in their employee wellness programs; banners; a press release to local media outlets; a profile on DHPE's School Employee Wellness web site; and letters to their State’s Governor, Superintendent of Education, and Local Representatives from both DHPE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC/DASH). In addition, all applicants who meet the criteria listed above for each level of award will receive recognition that includes a letter to their school superintendent and principal from both DHPE and CDC/DASH.

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

The 2009 Awards Program is now closed.  Look for information about the 2010 Awards Program in October 2010.