Working with Schools to Improve the Health and Well-being of Children and Youth

These services focus on upstream initiatives and early intervention to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors that impact student's health and well-being. The range of services, outlined in Attachment 1, includes nutrition, mental health promotion, substance use prevention, physical activity, sexual health, dental and oral care, and infectious disease prevention services. The Toronto Healthy Schools Strategy is an agreement between Toronto Public Health and the four school boards to create healthy school environments for children and youth through collective action. Its goals are to strengthen the partnership between Toronto Public Health and the School Boards, establish a workplan with shared goals, share data and communicate on joint initiatives, and conduct further research on the health of students, including their mental health and well-being. This report recommends that Toronto Public Health continue collaborating with school boards and initiate the development of the next Toronto Healthy Schools Strategy to launch in 2027.