In today’s world where students’ lives are cluttered with part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and social media, sometimes they neglect the basics for thriving: eating healthy and staying physically active. As a result, too many students come to school with low energy levels and are not ready to learn. Summer time is the ideal time to “recharge” their batteries before heading back to school.
In 2008, Washington State held a very dubious title. We had the highest kindergarten vaccination exemption rate in the country at 7.5 percent —5 times the national average! Immunization leadership in Washington realized that this rate represented a shift in the landscape—away from immunization as a community priority.

A new story on substance abuse from Healthy People 2020’s Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators? monthly bulletin shows how Nebraska’s Project Extra Mile works to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harms. Alcohol compliance checks are one of Project Extra Mile’s key initiatives. As a result of technical assistance, education, and support provided by Project Extra Mile, 10,000 compliance checks have been conducted since 1997.…

Imagine a community where all residents, regardless of their neighborhood or socioeconomic status, have access to what they need to be healthy. How would we build this kind of community? If we consider this question and the myriad factors that influence health, it becomes clear that building a healthy community requires strong buy-in from every sector and robust community engagement.