New Research and Collaborative Opportunities for CHIP Affiliates – School and Child Health Sandra M Chafouleas, Professor & Associate Dean for Research, Neag School of Education E Carol Polifroni, Professor of Nursing & Director of the Office for Public Engagement CHIP Annual Meeting September 10, 2015

Why “School and Child” Health? Collaboration across education and health sectors is necessary to accomplish child well-being Modeled from the ASCD / CDC joint initiative: Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework Collaborative research is critical toward informing coordinated policy, processes, and practices connected with the 10 components of coordinated school health Source:

Mission The mission of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH) is to facilitate innovative research in school and child health. CSCH serves as a central resource to university and external partners engaged in research efforts that inform healthy, safe, supporting, and engaging environments for all children.

Goals – Adapted from CHIP Goal 1: CSCH will provide an interdisciplinary nexus for investigators across the University of Connecticut to stimulate multidisciplinary collaborations and major new funded research initiatives in school and child health. Objectives: To bring together research efforts in school and child health, facilitating (a) efficient internal communications about current areas of individual work, (b) broader dissemination of these efforts under the CSCH collective, and (c) networking opportunities to connect around potential common research interests. Goal 2: CSCH will undertake research to create new scientific knowledge, theoretical frameworks, and methodological advances in the areas of school and child health. This work will focus on understanding the dynamics of health behavior and related systems, the science of health behavior change, and the science and practice of developing, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating effective interventions with community partners. Objectives: To foster innovative research that advances evidence about healthy, safe, supporting, and engaging environments for all children, including (a) forging new cross- disciplinary research collaborations, (b) building partnerships with external stakeholders interested in answering pressing questions of practice, and (c) engaging in large data analyses with a lens on policy implications.

Goals – Adapted from CHIP Goal 3: CSCH will share its expertise in school and child health with community partners and relevant local, state, national, and international organizations. Objectives: To establish a recognized source of expertise in school and child health, with information presented via user-friendly, engaging digital communication strategies for a variety of contexts and audiences. Goal 4: CSCH researchers will educate and mentor undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, researchers, faculty, community members, and others in the science, engaged scholarship, and practice of school and child health. Objectives: To establish a locally and nationally-recognized resource for educational training materials on school and child health. Goal 5: CSCH will take a leadership role in fostering a team science approach among University of Connecticut research scientists, clinicians, and selected community partners in building the evidence around prevention, risk reduction, and intervention strategies that promote healthy, safe, supporting, and engaging environments for all children. Objectives: To establish CSCH as a recognized model for team science in school and child health.

Organizational Structure Co-Directors: Chafouleas & Polifroni Steering Committee: Jennifer Bruening, Professor and Department Head in EDLR & Executive Director of Husky Sport (Neag) Deborah Cornman, Associate Director of CHIP Jennifer Dineen, Director of the Graduate Program in Survey Research in the Dept of Public Policy (CLAS) Lindsey DiStefano, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology (CAHNR) Anne Farrell, Associate Professor in HDFS & Director of the Center for Applied Research (CLAS) Michelle Femc-Bagwell, Assistant Professor in Residence in EDLR & Director of CommPACT (Neag) Kathryn Libal, Associate Professor in Policy Practice (Social Work) Ruth Lucas, Assistant Professor in Nursing Amy Mobley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences (CAHNR) Kerri Raissian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy (CLAS) Ron Sabatelli, Professor and Dept Head in Human Development and Family Studies (CLAS) Lisa H. Sanetti, Associate Professor in Educational Psychology (Neag) Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center (CHIP)

Upcoming Events to Note Oct 1 – CHIP Lecture Series: Mark Weist on interconnecting school and community systems Oct 10 – Huskies Forever Weekend: “Contemporary Conversations” panel on mental well-being Nov 6 – FOA: CHIP-Neag School of Education Dual-PI Seed Grants Nov 12 – CSCH social networking event April 1 – Application deadline: CHIP-Neag School of Education Dual-PI Seed Grants And many more to come… aligned with the activities and outcomes identified for each goal in Year 1

Questions, Comments, Contact Sandra M Chafouleas, Neag School of Education E Carol Polifroni, Office of Public Engagement