Courier-Leader photo/Paul Garrod
By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
LAWRENCE – The first county-wide Whole Child Summit, held Monday, Oct. 3, at the Van Buren Intermediate School District’s (VBISD) Conference Center, here, attracted 150 individuals who all have a vested interest in the county and its residents, with a special interest directed to its students. Among those individuals were those from health care, mental health, health and human services, educators, students, law enforcement, judicial, clergy, community members and others.
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, embraced throughout the nation, emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement, and utilization of evidence-based practices and policies, according to local organizer Cheryl-Marie Manson, VBISD director of instructional services. The day-long event was planned by a group of individuals from Community Mental Health, the ISD and Paw Paw Public Schools, and led by Manson.
Manson said, “The model has 10 components: physical education/physical activity; nutritional environment and services; social and emotional climate; health services; mental health services; community involvement; health education; family engagement; physical environment, and employee wellness. This framework can help communities to strengthen community and school efforts to improve child outcomes, both in and out of school.”
Corey Harbaugh, Paw Paw Public Schools’ director of curriculum/instruction and state/federal programs, said, “I was proud to be part of the team that planned the event, and grateful to the VBISD for hosting and serving as the nexus of the efforts to bring together the agencies that serve youth and families in Van Buren County.”
A first version of the summit, though smaller, was designed and hosted by Paw Paw schools in February 2020, just a few weeks before the shutdown due to COVID-19, according to Harbaugh. “Now that things are ‘open’ again, with gathering and events underway, I asked VBISD if they would take it over to the benefit of all county schools. They were glad to do so, and they really expanded the reach and potential for positive impact,” said Harbaugh.
Following the summit, Harbaugh offered several comments and the impact (learning loss) that COVID-19 has had on students.
“I think a way to bring that observation (learning loss due to COVID) to the goals of the Whole Child Summit is to focus on the innovative solution being offered by VBISD in working to bring different agencies and resources together with the schools of Van Buren County for an ‘all hands-on deck’ approach. Instead of trying to deal with the challenges piecemeal, our approach with the Whole Child Summit is to recognize we’re working on the same challenges, and the Whole Child Model says that with kids/families at the center, working together we can better meet their needs and the goals and objectives of our organizations. One example of this is the goal of schools to help stabilize children to be able to learn is helped by any assistance that can be provided to stabilize families. Kids learn better when their health, nutrition, and other needs are met inside and outside school.”
Harbaugh said, “Too often and for too long, different agencies have tried to address these needs separately. The Whole Child Summit is a powerful response to the disruption of COVID because it’s about bringing resources and people together across agencies for better coordination and leverage.”
He added, “I greatly appreciated being able to talk to individuals working across Van Buren County in law enforcement and education, at the Health Department and Community Mental Health, and other agencies. Though we come at it from different perspectives, we found we are working to address many of the same challenges that plague youth and families, from poverty and food insecurity, to housing, transportation, and employment challenges, and disruptions to mental and physical health and wellness. The dialogue and collaboration of the Whole Child Summit should help us better support the families we all serve.”
Harbaugh said the goals of the Whole Child Summit align with priorities in the Paw Paw Public Schools strategic plan. “We are working to emphasize and strengthen connections in our community to the benefit of students and their families,” said Harbaugh.
Harbaugh said the county school districts understand that for young people to be healthy and get the most out of school, “they and their families have to be well-cared-for by all segments of society and truly experience what community means.”
He added, “The goal of the Whole Child Summit was to ask “what if” our community agencies worked together to truly take care of youth and families. Some great ideas and opportunities for collaboration came out of asking those “what if” questions.”
“There are so many wonderful people working across Van Buren County to keep youth and families healthy and safe,” said Harbaugh, “and it is really exciting to think about what we could do if we work together to bring our efforts together around shared priorities and commitments to building the experience of community for all.”
Harbaugh concluded, “We had great discussions about what it means to be neighbors as professionals and as individuals who call Van Buren County home. If we can come at the challenges facing youth and families with this shared sense of community, and treat one another as neighbors, it will improve the quality of life for all who live, work, and raise their families in these places we call home.”
“It is our hope that this is the first of many conversations around supporting the whole child,” said Manson.
For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/wscc/index.htm