This year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education continue to co-host the "Health Promoting School Feature Award Competition." Utilizing the eight standards of the "Third Generation Health Promoting School," which include: government resources and policies, school policies toward whole-school approach, school community and stakeholder engagement, school and community partnerships, school curriculum incorporates health and well-being, school physical environment, school social-emotional environment, and school health services and resources, schools were selected based on a comprehensive, whole-school, whole-community, and government-level cooperation model.
The awards for this year's competition are divided into "Excellence Awards" (Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Promotion Awards) and "Special Awards" (Community Partner Award, Innovative Curriculum Award, Environmental Support Award, and Health Service Award). A total of 108 schools from 17 counties and cities registered, and 50 schools were finally selected for honors.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education held a joint results presentation on June 27 (Thursday) at the National Taiwan University International Conference Center to recognize the awarded schools and the local government education and health units from 12 counties and cities, encouraging schools across the counties and cities for their dedicated efforts in promoting student health.
Excellence Award – Exemplary Models, All-in-One Health Campus Promotion
The "Excellence Award" evaluates schools based on three data indicators from the 2022 academic year: the proportion of students with normal body weight, the rate of poor visual acuity, and the untreated dental caries rate in specific grades, all of which must be better than the average thresholds for their respective counties or cities. Schools are assessed on the effectiveness of their health strategies. This year, three schools received the Gold Award, five schools received the Silver Award, fifteen schools received the Bronze Award, and seven schools received the Promotion Award.
Special Award – Strengthening Campus-Specific Promotion Strategies
The "Special Award" recognizes schools for their innovative, creative, and insightful approaches in four categories: Community Partner Award, Innovative Curriculum Award, Environmental Support Award, and Health Service Award. Each category had 5 winners, totaling 20 schools.
1. Community Partner Award: Schools demonstrate concrete examples of forming alliances with the community, supporting local cultural characteristics, and integrating community resources into the school while also giving back to the community with health strategies, maintaining a two-way interactive partnership.
2. Innovative Curriculum Award: Schools develop innovative health education curricula and create different teaching materials for various grade levels to enhance students' opportunities to acquire health knowledge and practice healthy behaviors.
3. Environmental Support Award: Schools creatively implement new health strategies to build a safe and sustainable physical environment, enhance a friendly and enjoyable campus atmosphere, invigorate teacher-student relationships, and foster positive attitudes of self-esteem and confidence.
4. Health Service Award: Schools address the health needs of students and staff by providing appropriate health services, actively integrating internal and community health resources, and continuously improving major health issues based on pre- and post-implementation data.
Under the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, the concept of health promoting is increasingly embedded within schools. Through this initiative, it is hoped that more schools will develop diverse and inclusive campus environments tailored to their unique characteristics. Emphasizing the health needs of all school staff and students, these efforts aim to cultivate healthy lifestyles from an early age, making health a habitual part of daily life.
