The opportunity for health begins in our families, neighborhoods, schools, and jobs. Access to quality education opportunities can promote the health of children, youth, and adults by increasing healthy behaviors, employment opportunities, and social/psychological benefits. To understand the role of education in community health, consider the following types of conditions:
High quality early childhood education is essential to build literacy, math, and social and emotional skills children need to do well in school and everyday life.
Early and Often: Showing up in Preschool Matters 2.0
Strategies and resources to help educators address challenges faced by families with students who miss 10 percent or more of the school year. Source: Attendance Works
Pathway to Children Ready for School and Succeeding at Third Grade
Findings from research, practice, theory, and policy about what it takes to improve the lives of children and families, particularly those living in under-resourced neighborhoods. Source: Pathways Mapping Initiative
What Works for Early Language and Literacy Development
A review of fifteen experimentally-evaluated programs and intervention strategies that were primarily focused on improving early language and literacy skills. Source: Child Trends
Getting Ready
Findings from the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative. Source: Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Two-Generation Strategies Toolkit
Describes the two-generation approaches of supporting families and children, with a focus on opportunities for state legislators. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
Funding the Fundamentals
An overview for Early Care and Education Funding for Public Health Practitioners. Source: ChangeLab Solutions
Leverage SDoH Intersection Examples
Career Advance
Initiative providing parents free career training in healthcare field and their children free access to high quality early education. Source: Ray Marshall Center
Christopher House
Christopher House, a Chicago-based early childcare and elementary school offers support services to parents and is unique for offering both academics and basic needs support in the same location. Source: The Hechinger Report
A Community Fix for Rio Arriba’s Libraries
In New Mexico, independent libraries operate as non-profits and provide services such as early childhood education and pre-school classes as well as spearheading community projects such as a radio station and mural creation. Source: Medium
A big predictor of education is high school graduation. High school graduates are less likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, or engage in criminal behavior than high school dropouts.
Understand Local Conditions
The Opportunity Atlas
Interactive map showing data on high school graduation rates by county. Source: The Opportunity Atlas
Civil Rights Data Collection
Data on educational access and equity across public schools and school districts. Source: United States Department of Education
Unnatural Causes: Health Equity and Education
Multimedia resources, reports and videos on how education can have an impact on a person’s health. Source: Public Broadcasting Service; California Newsreel
Michigan School Data
Website provides data on K-12 grade education enrollment and outcomes. Source: MI School Data
In-School Food Pantries Expand Reach to Kalamazoo Students
Communities in Schools and Loaves & Fishes of Kalamazoo, MI helped provide Woodward School for Technology and Research food pantry services that have now expanded. Source: MLive
Higher education is any education past high school that prepares people for professional or vocational careers. People with higher levels of education in any field commit less crime, are healthier, and live longer.
Michigan School Data
Website provides data on post-secondary education enrollment and outcomes. Source: MI School Data
Change Local Conditions
Scaling Solutions Across Higher Education Toolkit
Resources that help colleges and universities understand the challenges that hamper student success. Source: New Media Consortium and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Improve Access to Higher Education
Information through the American Association of University Women highlighting ways to improve access to higher education for women in the United States. Source: American Association of University Women
Strive Partnership
Collaboration focused on single mothers achieve economic and education success for their families as well as building connections to self-sufficient career pathways. Source: Strive Partnership
Ready by 21
An initiative working to enhance college and career readiness, reduce the dropout rate and increase the economic competitiveness. Source: The Forum for Youth Investment
Leverage SDoH Intersection Examples
DAX Program
Helps with homelessness and other issues like employment for college students in Chicago. Source: DePaul USA
Michigan Engaging Community through the Classroom
Students at U of M’s School of Public Health learned to conduct a Health Impact Assessment through a Community-Based Public Health program. Source: University of Michigan School of Public Health
Literacy includes the ability to read and write and can impact health outcomes by influencing a person’s ability to understand needed information, enroll in services, access employment opportunities, and function in society.
America’s Most Literate Cities
Aggregated database of city literacy statistics taken by Central Connecticut State University starting from 2003 until 2016. Source: Central Connecticut State University
Change Local Conditions
What Works for Early Language and Literacy Development
A review of fifteen experimentally-evaluated programs and intervention strategies that were primarily focused on improving early language and literacy skills. Source: Child Trends
Social Interaction and Support For Women Learners
A focused discussion on what are often considered peripheral aspects of adult education, including access to and expansion of social support networks, the social meanings learners attach to education, and the psychosocial benefits of participation. Source: LINCS
Using Literacy-Based Approaches to Promote Social Competence and Foster Resilience
An overview of research on the development of social competence, and current interventions targeting the development of these skills. The study concludes with child and adult-level strategies through literacy based practices and materials. Source: Yale Child Study Center
Dallas Public Libraries Address Homelessness
Examples of how some libraries are addressing homelessness by hiring social workers, co-locating services, and employing former homeless. Source: NPR
Data Source
Civil Rights Data Collection
Database of publicly reported data by school and school district.
(United States Department of Education)
Michigan School Data
This website includes several datasets related to education in Michigan.
(Michigan Department of Education)