America's Healthiest Schools
Healthier Generation’s signature award program honors schools for the key role they play in advancing the health and well-being of students, staff, and families.
Get started with the Award Eligibility Checklist.
What is America’s Healthiest Schools?
America’s Healthiest Schools is Healthier Generation’s prestigious annual recognition program that honors schools for implementing best practices to support the physical, mental, and social-emotional health needs of the learning community.
Awardees must meet criteria in the Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment, an evidence-informed tool that helps schools identify strengths and opportunities for improving policies and practices to advance health and learning with an integrated approach.
What topics are recognized in America’s Healthiest Schools?
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Increasing Family & Community Engagement
Presented by: Kohl’s
Recognizes school teams that gather input from the school community, engage parents and caregivers in meaningful ways to support student successes, and connect families to resources related to social drivers of health -
Improving Nutrition & Food Access
Recognizes school teams that implement best practices to maximize school meal participation, meaningfully collaborate with teachers on nutrition education, and partner with community organizations to increase food access for students -
Implementing Local School Wellness Policy
Recognizes school teams that implement the district’s wellness policy with the support of a diverse set of stakeholders, set measurable goals, and reflect on progress, successes, and challenges -
Enriching Health Education
Recognizes school teams that provide health education to all students, using an evidence-based curriculum and prioritize opportunities for students to practice skills to maintain and improve their health -
Bolstering Physical Education & Activity
Recognizes school teams that provide physical education using an evidence-based curriculum and integrate physical activity opportunities throughout the school day with all students, including students with special health needs
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Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning
Presented by: Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente
Recognizes school teams that implement an evidenced-based social-emotional learning curriculum, positively motivate students, and implement opportunities for students to regulate their emotions and learn from their mistakes -
Cultivating Staff Well-Being
Presented by: Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente
Recognizes school teams that actively promote relationship building with staff, foster a culture of gratitude, and provide resources to support breaks for all staff during the instructional day -
Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools
Recognizes school teams that address tobacco use in youth through prevention education and cessation intervention and actively engages youth in promoting a tobacco-free campus -
Supporting School Health Services
Recognizes school teams that address chronic health conditions, routinely conduct health screenings, and provide a pathway for students with health concerns to receive additional support from the school or community-based providers
Schools that achieve recognition in all nine topic areas are designated All-Star Awardees.
Why apply for America’s Healthiest Schools?
Schools function best when students and educators are happy and healthy. Earning an America’s Healthiest Schools recognition indicates that your school is a leader in school health. Previous awardees have received a multitude of benefits, including:
- Inclusion in our annual list of America’s Healthiest Schools, seen by millions nationwide each year through local and national media, such as USA Today, HuffPost, Woman's Day, and more.
- A digital promotion package including web graphics, social media messages, newsletter blurbs, and email templates to help schools share the news.
What is the application timeline?
School teams may apply in the Healthier Generation Action Center.
- Application Opens: January 10, 2023
- Application Closes: April 18, 2023
- Award Notification: Summer 2023
- Award Celebration: Fall 2023
All applications are due no later than April 18, 2023. Applications must be complete in order to be submitted for consideration.
Who can apply for America’s Healthiest Schools?
Any K-12 public or private school in the United States is eligible to apply for recognition as one of America’s Healthiest Schools—including elementary, middle, and high schools. Any school, regardless of earlier awards achieved, can apply for a 2023 award.
To receive an award, schools must have all criteria in a single topic area fully in place during the 2022-23 school year before the submission deadline.
View past award winners:
What does it mean to be one of America's Healthiest Schools?
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“I am proud to be able to say that I am here, and I'm a part of this amazing school, and that we are [one of] America's Healthiest Schools.”
– Tonia Mabry, Guidance Counselor
Langley Park-mccormick Elementary School, Prince George's County Public Schools
How can I apply for America’s Healthiest Schools?
1
Decide which topic area(s) to include in your application.
- Find your school in the Healthier Generation Action Center. Invite others to join your team, if you’d like.
- Answer the questions in the Award Eligibility Checklist to determine if your school will apply for recognition in one or more topic areas. Watch a short video on how to use the checklist.
- To receive an award, all criteria in a single topic area must be “Fully in Place” during the 2022-23 school year before the submission deadline.
2
Gather the required evidence.
- To verify award criteria is “Fully in Place,” your school team will provide information about implementation methods, improvements made this school year, and procedures and communication sent to students and families.
- Use the Award Guide to prepare the required evidence for the topic(s) you will include in your application.
3
Submit Your Application
- Find the 2023 Award Application on your school’s Dashboard in the Action Center.
- Multiple school team members may work on the application and save and return at any time before submitting the application. Take a virtual tour of the award application.
- Make sure all required evidence is included in your application. There is no re-submission period to clarify or provide additional documentation.
- Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT on April 18, 2023.
Get Help
The Healthier Generation team is here every step of the way to support your success.
- Call 888-543-4584 or email our Member Engagement & Support Team or connect with your Program Manager for support with your application.
- Set up an online meeting with a Healthier Generation team member to walk through the application and get your questions answered.
How can district administrators and staff support their team's application?
- Download the Communication Toolkit and encourage school teams to apply for national recognition. Send the sample newsletter blurb, social media messages, and email to principals and other school health champions. Use the provided workshop agenda to help teams start their award application.
- Get in touch with our Member Engagement & Support Team or your Healthier Generation Program Manager. You can also set up an online meeting with a Healthier Generation team member and your schools to walk through the application and get your questions answered.
- Share the Award Guide which outlines the award criteria and required evidence for school teams to submit an application. Pull together information that might support your schools’ applications. For example, a survey that gathered family input that was distributed widely through each school. Collect the evidence in a common drive to share with your schools.
- Send out helpful calendar invites for your schools. These can include reminders of when the application is due and time to walk-through the application with schools in advance of submission to answer any questions.
- District team members may view each school's application at any time. Select the school at the bottom of your district’s Dashboard in the Action Center. Then, click on the 2023 Award Application on the school’s Dashboard. Take a virtual tour of the award application to learn more.
Help and Support
If you have questions about the required evidence in the application or need technical support, call us at 888-543-4584, send an email, or set up a free chat with our Member Engagement & Support Team.