Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a - Society for Public Health ...

Planning Your
NHEW
Activity
Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a Healthier Generation
National Health Education Week | October 15-19, 2012
Remember that programs, activities, and collaborations
can extend beyond NHEW. Collaborate with local, state,
and national partners to build sustainable programs.
SOPHE will be extending efforts to promote healthy
adolescents throughout the year by focusing on
the following sub-themes:
Nutrition and Physical Activity: Action for healthy
adolescents
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use: Integrating
evidence-based strategies for prevention
Sexual Health: Making the case for comprehensive
sex education
Emerging Trends in Adolescent Injury & Violence
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth:
Embracing diversity and promoting inclusion
Forming a Planning Committee
Setting aside sufficient planning time for your campaign
will help you produce a successful and meaningful
outcome. One way to structure this process is to form a
planning committee. When recruiting a planning
committee, consider a diversity of strengths and talents
that individuals might bring to the group. These include
leadership skills, technical skills, promotional skills,
subject area expertise, or access to particular
communities or organizations. You should also include
members of your target population in your efforts,
including adolescents. That way you can better
understand their specific interests, needs, and wants.
Besides in-person meetings and conference calls, use
creative ways to meet with the planning committee to
keep them engaged. Use web cams, set up an online
discussion forum (e.g., Google Groups), and/or create a
blog to keep members up-to-date with events.
To increase awareness of the various health issues
that impact adolescents.
To provide support and health resource information
for health education specialists and other
professionals who serve and care for adolescents.
To encourage multi-sector collaboration, including
government agencies, community-based
organizations, schools, and businesses, whose
services and decisions affect adolescent health.
However, the specific objectives for your campaign can
be determined locally, based on the interests and needs
of community members. Examples of objectives for
NHEW 2012 might include:
By the end of NHEW 2012, at least “X percent”
community leaders, school administrators and other
stakeholders in Community X will have participated
in the assessment of school’s nutrition and physical
activity policies and programs and develop an
improvement plan that focuses on a Coordinated
School Health approach.
By the end of NHEW 2012, “X community” will have
recruited “X number” local stakeholders to create
and maintain access to safe, accessible, and
affordable places for physical activity.
By the end of NHEW 2012, “X number” of health
education specialists will organize networks of local
youth and health organizations to make adolescent
health education & information more accessible to
young people
Establishing Goals and Objectives
The mission of NHEW 2012 is to promote optimal health
outcomes and well-being for our nation’s adolescents.
The overall goals of NHEW 2012 include the following:
Society for Public Health Education • National Health Education Week 2012 | 9