Health Education in the 21st Century: A Skills-based Approach

Abstract

Effective health education can positively contribute to a student's school experience. Healthier students are more likely to be ready and able to learn, and students who are academically successful often engage in less risky behaviors. Health education programs can support students' skill development and knowledge acquisition in order to help them be healthy for a lifetime. In addition, health education can help address the critical issue of low levels of health literacy prevalent in today's society. However, in order to achieve these outcomes, health education must be aligned with the National Health Education Standards and implemented using best practices. This article outlines support for health education as a vital component of an educational system and articulates key considerations for developing and implementing effective programming in the PK–12 setting.