Why Is the American Cancer Society Committed to School Health?
It’s simple. The earlier children learn how to prevent illness, the healthier they will be. The information and skills needed to make healthy decisions are learned during childhood and adolescence. Schools have a critical role to play in health education and can reinforce learning that takes place at home and in the community. It’s far easier to establish and maintain healthy habits learned early in life than to change unhealthy habits during adulthood. The 15,000 school systems in the United States serve over 50 million children and youthby far the largest and most organized system to reach our youngsters. Furthermore, the school system’s goal to enrich the lives of students makes it a natural avenue for giving young people the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to start, stop, or change health behaviors. For those reasons, the American Cancer Society has embraced school health as one of the most promising means of ensuring healthy children today and decreasing cancer illness
