Activate - Ways to Support Health Education Standards

As we've posted, Ohio now has a bill to provide state standards for health education classes in schools.  Ohio is currently one of two states without such standards.  While the bill does not address content, or specific health topics, it is skills based learning.  You may remember memorizing information in your health class, such as the bones of the body.  The new standards will help students learn how to access quality health information, how to set health goals and communicate those to others, among other skills.  These are really life long skills that they can carry with them into adulthood.

Now that House Bill 256 has been introduced, many have asked what they can do to support the effort.  We have several options.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Advocacy Day

• Make plans to join us for an Advocacy Day on Nov. 13 in support of these two great issues.  Registration is currently open.
• Help recruit others!  Registration information postcards are available, as well as electronic versions.  Let us know how you can spread the message and get people to register.

Recruitment Events (conferences) and Activities

• Postcard Campaign – Help us gain additional grassroots support!  We have postcards for people to sign and leave a message.  These will be used during the campaign to show additional grassroots support.  Directions and cards are available and can be carried to meetings and events.  Contact us for resources!
• Conferences – Let us know if you have an upcoming meeting where postcards or information can be integrated. 
• Forwarding Alerts – Help us spread the message and engage new advocates by forwarding current alerts to others.  (Of course, we encourage you to respond to all alerts!)             

Organizational Sign On – Organizations can sign on to support both efforts.  There are online sign on forms, as well as paper copies.  This is open to any organization, group, school or coalition supportive of the issue.

Stories – We are looking for stories! Personal stories bring stats to life.  We often ask people to share their survivor story and why they support a specific issue.  However, it can also be a personal or professional reason.  Help us identify additional stories to collect to illustrate the importance and support for these two great issues.