AVRCE Healthy School Communities

Healthy School Communities [HSC] is a way of working together to create healthy, inclusive and vibrant school communities where the climate and culture, policies, practices, opportunities and physical design enable everyone to learn, grow, thrive and succeed.

The HSC approach supports the achievement of AVRCE's two Student Success Wellbeing Goals described in the AVRCE System Improvement Plan. HSC is an approach to school wellbeing and health. In AVRCE HSC exists to support principals, teachers and school staff to build upon the wonderful health work they are doing in their schools.

Healthy School Communities, also called Health Promoting Schools, is an approach to school health based on the fact that healthier students have better learning outcomes. It’s important to consider the conditions that affect health. A school is a unique setting that can have a strong influence on the health of students. School settings can influence factors such as healthy food environments, promoting and integrating physical activity throughout the day, maintaining good mental wellness, and establishing healthy relationships with others. A healthy school community is one where the context and environment have been altered to create conditions that support students' mental & physical health and wellbeing.