Organizational Culture:

Health & Wellness

START Metric #28:

Student Wellness Committee

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Ideas & Resources

A Student Wellness Committee plays a crucial role in fostering a healthy and supportive school environment. By bringing together educators, staff, and administrators, this committee can identify priorities, develop initiatives, and implement policies that advance the health and well-being of students.

Focusing on mental, physical, and emotional wellness, the committee helps ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive. Its efforts can range from creating wellness programs and addressing mental health challenges to promoting healthy lifestyles and fostering resilience. A dedicated wellness committee ensures a systematic approach to student well-being, creating lasting impacts across the school community.

Strategies for Establishing and Running a Student Wellness Committee

NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.

  • Form a Dedicated Committee

    • Assemble a diverse group of educators, counselors, administrators, and staff members passionate about student wellness.

    • Include representation from key departments such as athletics, nutrition, and mental health services.

  • Define a Clear Mission and Goals

    • Develop a mission statement that reflects the committee’s commitment to student health and wellness.

    • Identify short- and long-term goals aligned with the school’s needs and priorities.

  • Engage Student Voice

    • Invite students to share their perspectives and needs, either through focus groups or as part of the committee.

    • Use surveys to gather input on wellness topics and initiatives that matter most to them.

  • Implement Wellness Programs

    • Launch programs that address identified needs, such as stress management workshops or healthy eating campaigns.

    • Provide peer-to-peer programs like student wellness ambassadors to foster a culture of support.

  • Collaborate with Community Resources

    • Partner with local organizations, health professionals, and non-profits to bring expertise and resources to wellness efforts.

    • Organize guest speakers or workshops on topics like mindfulness, physical activity, or substance abuse prevention.

  • Develop and Enforce Wellness Policies

    • Create policies that support healthy eating, mental health awareness, and physical activity across the school.

    • Regularly review and update policies to reflect evolving wellness priorities.

  • Monitor and Evaluate Programs

    • Establish metrics to measure the impact of wellness initiatives on student health and engagement.

    • Use feedback from students and staff to refine and improve programs.

  • Foster a Supportive Culture

    • Encourage open conversations about mental health and well-being to reduce stigma.

    • Celebrate Wellness Weeks or themed days to highlight health and wellness in a fun, engaging way.

  • Provide Training and Resources

    • Offer professional development for teachers and staff on recognizing and addressing student wellness needs.

    • Develop a resource library with materials on mental health, nutrition, and physical activity.

  • Create a Wellness Communication Plan

    • Use newsletters, posters, and social media to promote the committee’s work and engage the school community.

    • Share tips and updates regularly to keep wellness top of mind for students and staff.

‘How To’ Guides

  • Student Wellness Committee Toolkit

    From the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a toolkit to successfully set up an SWC, including essential concepts, checklists, timelines, agenda examples, and more.

Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.

They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.

Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.

But how do we get there?

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.

START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:

It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.

However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.

Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.

How sustainable is our school now?

Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success? 

What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric?  Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.

START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.

It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.

Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.

Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.

Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.

Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.