ED’s OSHS PREVENTION NEWS DIGEST Office of Safe and Healthy Students MARCH 3, 2012 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 9 | |
In This Issue 1. Save the Date: Bullying Prevention Twitter Live Chat, March 20, 2012, presented by HHS, ED, and the Anti-Defamation League 2. EPA Releases K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines for Public Comment 3. Research study finds youth who attempt suicide may do so at a very young age 4. Federal Funding Opportunities: -HHS’ SAMHSA Drug Free Communities Support Program - HHS’ SAMHSA STOP Act Grants 5. HHS’ CDC Reports that almost 17% of youth were obese in 2009–2010. The opinions expressed herein may not reflect the views of the Office of Safe and Healthy Students or the U.S. Department of Education. The availability of information from a variety of sources does not constitute and should not be considered as an endorsement of those sources by the U.S. Department of Education. We hope that you find this information to be useful. If you think ED’s OSHS PREVENTION NEWS DIGEST would be helpful to a friend or colleague, please send them to this website to: self-enroll, change information, or unsubscribe. Contact Us: If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at: Sharon Burton Editor | Save the Date: Bullying Prevention Twitter Live Chat, March 20, 2012, presented by HHS, ED, and the Anti-Defamation League Experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will present a Twitter Live Chat on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, from 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm ET via Twitter. The main twitter feed to follow during the chat is http://twitter.com/CDCInjury #VetoViolence. Learn from experts about the importance of bullying prevention, the value of programs, policies, and practices based upon the best available evidence, and resources available to assist parents and schools in their prevention and intervention efforts. To learn more about efforts to prevent bullying, visit the following links: To stay connected to the Veto Violence Campaign, visit the following links: CDC Violence Prevention Social Media/Twitter Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention EPA Releases K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines for Public Comment On, February 27, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released for public comment the K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines for States, Tribes and Territories. In December 2007, Congress enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Subtitle E, Section 504 of EISA requires the EPA, in consultation with the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services and other relevant federal agencies, to develop voluntary guidelines to assist states in establishing and implementing environmental health programs in K-12 schools. Exposure to environmental hazards in schools can negatively impact the health of students and school staff. Unhealthy school environments can affect attendance, concentration and performance. In carrying out this statutory mandate, EPA, with assistance from its federal partners and feedback from stakeholders, developed these draft voluntary State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines. The guidelines are primarily intended to be used as a resource for the establishment of a state, tribal, or territorial K-12 school environmental health program. Feedback will help in the development of useful guidelines to states, tribes, and territories to better support healthy school environments for children. The EPA is requesting review the draft guidelines and comments by April 13, 2012. Please visit the EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection School's website at http://www.epa.gov/schools to post your comments. EPA has also released a Request for Applications (RFA) which will provide funding for implementation of the draft voluntary guidelines. Eligibility for funding under this competitive solicitation is limited to states, tribes and territories. Total funding available is expected to be $750,000 and applications for up to $150,000 will be accepted. The closing date for receipt of applications is April 10. For more information, including a copy of the RFA, go to: http://www.epa.gov/schools. If you have additional questions, please contact Cyndy Merse (Email: [log in to unmask], Phone: 202-566-2970). Source: Comprehensive Health Education Network LISTSERV (CHEN) Research study finds youth who attempt suicide may do so at a very young age Youth who attempt suicide may do so at very young ages, according to the results of a study by researcher James Mazza of the University of Washington. Mazza examined survey data on 883 18- and 19-year olds who had attempted suicide and found that almost 40 percent said their first suicide attempt had been made before high school. "The earliest age was age 9, so that's either third or fourth grade. And there's a sharp increase at sixth grade, so that's age 12," said Mazza. "They continue to rise, with the peak being eighth to ninth grade." The purpose of the study was to investigate the validity of retrospective measures of suicidal behavior. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. For more information, visit: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(11)00127-3/abstract Source: SPRC - The Weekly Spark Federal Funding Opportunities Drug Free Communities Support Program U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Deadline: March 22, 2012 The purpose of this funding is to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth, with the purpose of achieving two goals. First to establish and strengthen collaboration within communities that supports efforts to prevent and reduce substance use among youth 18 years of age and younger. Also to, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk. Approximately 30 awards of up to $125,000 per year will be granted to eligible applicants. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Please contact SAMHSA for more information and to apply for this funding: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2012/sp_12_001.aspx#who STOP Act Grants Deadline: March 29, 2012 Source: The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) HHS’ CDC Reports that almost 17% of youth were obese in 2009–2010 The most recent national data on obesity prevalence among U.S. adults, adolescents, and children show that more than one-third of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents were obese in 2009–2010 as reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention . Differences in prevalence between men and women diminished between 1999–2000 and 2009–2010, with the prevalence of obesity among men reaching the same level as that among women. Age differences in obesity prevalence varied between men and women. The prevalence of obesity was higher among older women compared with younger women, but there was no difference by age in obesity prevalence among men. Among children and adolescents, the prevalence of obesity was higher among adolescents than among preschool-aged children. There has been no change in obesity prevalence in recent years; however, over the last decade there has been a significant increase in obesity prevalence among men and boys but not among women and girls overall. The Healthy People 2010 goals of 15% obesity among adults and 5% obesity among children were not met (6) For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.htm Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Kids' Health E-Newsletter Update |