Jefferson County Public Schools has long taken a proactive approach to supporting students who struggle with substance use. But they found that traditional disciplinary interventions, including suspension, did little to address students’ underlying challenges — while limiting learning opportunities for students who may need them most.
Weld County School District RE-1 was one of many Colorado districts to receive funding from the Colorado Department of Education and The Colorado Health Foundation to promote healthy eating and physical activity, as well as manage chronic health problems, among their students. They entered into a unique partnership with the North Colorado Health Alliance, which created a wellness coordinator position to support their efforts.
Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the top pediatric hospitals in the United States, and is the largest provider of medical care to children and youth in Colorado and its seven-state region.
When it comes to managing the effects of asthma in children and youth, Children’s Hospital Colorado knows exactly what to do. But when they set out to share their expertise with school nurses and other educators, they quickly learned that they could use a little guidance. Children’s partnered with RMC Health to prepare “asthma champions” to translate their knowledge and skills into professional learning that works in school settings.
RMC Health developed a “train the trainer” approach that employed best practices in adult learning and empowered Children’s Hospital Colorado staff to share their deep expertise with everyone from school nurses to teachers to bus drivers.
Children’s Hospital Colorado, along with their partners at the Colorado Department of Education and National Jewish Health, is a leading expert in treating asthma in children and youth. In addition, they were known for their ability to train school nurses in Denver to manage asthma incidents — which, for young people who are away from their regular caregivers while at school, could potentially be frightening or even life-threatening episodes. Better management of chronic conditions also fosters stronger academic outcomes — helping to prevent students from missing school unnecessarily and then struggling with their studies.
This track record led to requests for Children’s Hospital Colorado to expand their school-based asthma management program beyond Denver to reach more schools and districts. Before making the leap, Children’s Hospital Colorado called on RMC Health to assess their approach to professional development as well as their training materials, and boost the skills and capacity of their staff to share their extensive expertise with school nurses and other educators.
“We have the content expertise, but the team at RMC Health are really the experts in professional development and the principles surrounding adult learning.”
— Melanie Gleason, Children’s Hospital Colorado
RMC Health developed a customized approach to capacity-building, preparing Children’s Hospital Colorado staff to assess their audience’s learning needs and constraints, build relationships that are critical to the collaborative nature of work in school settings, and develop highly effective professional development approaches and materials. As a result, core program staff are more confident and even more deeply committed to sharing their expertise.
“Our asthma champions have been able to take what they’ve learned and apply it. While their medical expertise may be extensive, they now know how to tailor their presentations to be effective in a short amount of time and for an audience that includes a broad range of participants — from school nurses to teachers to bus drivers.”
— Melanie Gleason, Children’s Hospital Colorado
