When Children, Schools, and Families are Supported, Nebraska Thrives
School Wellness
The Wellbeing Partners works directly with schools in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties to provide our “Activate Youth” package to address and improve upon school wellness goals and practices. We have used the 5-4-3-2-1 Go!®, Safe Routes to School, and Partners for Health Schools programs, as well as community resources, to address these goals. Through grants from CHI Health and Maternal and Child Health Title V, we have provided funds and support to make lasting changes. Our current projects supporting school wellness are:
- Activate Youth for Mental Health
- Our Youth Team is currently working with two OPS middle schools to pilot a Mental Health Literacy Curriculum, funded by Maternal Child Health. Students will be learning about their own mental health needs, how to identify red flags in themselves, and how to connect peers to supportive adults when needed. Students will also have the opportunity to plan and lead a school-wide mental health stigma reduction campaign for their peers. Teachers and parents at the schools will also have the chance to attend training to learn how best to support the mental health of their middle schoolers.
- Learn more here
- Safe Routes to School
- Safe Routes to School is an evidence-based national program that encourages active transportation to and from school via these complementary strategies – equity, engagement, encouragement, education, engineering, and evaluation. The benefits of Safe Routes to school includes: increased physical activity, improved traffic safety, better air quality, enhanced personal safety, long-term cost savings, and greater community cohesion. The Wellbeing Partners have helped to implement the program at several area schools.
- The Wellbeing Partners are currently working on a Safe Routes to Healthy Places Program with the Southside Terrace Neighborhood, seeking to support families as they use active transportation to area grocery stores, the South Omaha Library Branch, Indian Hill Elementary, and other neighborhood assets.
- Learn more about this program and past work here
- Teacher Resources
- The Wellbeing Partners have worked to support the mental health of teachers as well as provide timely resources to support their work in our communities. You can find all of our teacher resources, including webinars, promotional graphics, and our virtual Teacher Mental Health Care Package here
Family Wellness
We recognize that parents are the first and most important adults in a child’s life, and the ones that will most influence their physical and mental health. We also recognize that parenting is a challenging journey–a journey often walked without nearly enough support. Through funding from The Sherwood Foundation and OPPD, The Wellbeing Partners works to support families within workplaces and the community through parenting support classes, weekly parenting newsletters, and parent coaching sessions. Learn more about our Family Wellness Resources here
