Mobilizing a Low Income Border Community to Address State Mandated Coordinated School Health

Abstract

This study documents the response of a low-income border community to a Texas state law requiring coordinated school health programs in every elementary school by the academic year 2006-2007. Findings are summarized from a one-day conference with 176 attendees to familiarize them with the requirements of this law and to mobilize the community to design an approach that all elementary schools in the state of Texas could use to implement coordinated school health. Four discussion groups were held during the conference to address the following questions: 1) What are schools in the El Paso, TX border region already doing for child health?; 2) What more could be done without funding to implement coordinated health education?; and 3) What more could be done with funding to implement coordinated health education? Recommendations from these discussion groups included asking influential adults like teachers, food service personnel, and parents to model healthy behavior for children such as volunteering in the cafeteria, eating school meals, and exercising with the children during recess and physical education classes. The El Paso CATCH program models what a low-income, primarily Hispanic community can accomplish with minimal funding and resources.