Your are in Discussion Groups

International Discussion Groups
This section of the web site lists the currently active, paused and completed discussions that occur within this web site. See how you can participate in the discussions in the right-hand side bar. Sub-pages from this one list describe those current calls/projects in more detail. These International Discussion Groups (IDGs) have benefitted from and curated the knowledge developed by several projects, including previous knowledge exchange activites organized by seversal Communities of Practice faciliated by the Canadian Association for School Health.  

• Behaviour Theories
  A series of webinars and wiki-summaries on resilience led to the formation of a discussion group on behaviour theories. Additional material and a summary are being added from a more recent project funded by Public Safety Canada. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active)
  
  
• Common Concepts/Terms used Across Sectors
  This series of topics was started in 2013 by ISHN staff. These topics include generic topics that cut across a variety of health and social issues as well as the components and elements of school-based and school-linked programs and other aspects related to capacity building, implementation, scaling up and systems change.  The group has published a set of Glossary Terms and is about to re-start a Global Delphi Consultation on What We Know and Need to Know about School Health & Development programs. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active)
  
  
• Community Schools
  This group was led by the International Centre of Excellence for Community Schools. The Community School model is  one of the several "multi-component approaches" developed by different sectors when working with or within school systems. In CSs, the sectors primarily involved are social welfare and other anti-poverty agencies. The discussion group developed a set of summaries based on discussions in webinars with accompanying wiki- summaries. The group also published a Twitter-based news/research feed during their discussions. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Paused)
  
  
• Disparities, Disadvantage & Determinants
  These discussions are based on an international consensus statement on alleviating disadvantages developed in 2010 for an international conference, This specific context is one of several addressed in this web site. (This IDG is different to the one on low resource countries.) This group has created an agenda of topics, a Twitter-based news/research feed and more. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Paused)
  
  
• Education in Emergencies
  This multi-component approach has been veveloped by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies and several members of that network. The approach is comprised of several multi-intervention programs that respond to emergencies caused by conflict, natural disasters and pandemics. The plan includes the curation of resources related to the Covid 19 pandemic and its aftermath. A variation of this approach is called "safe schools" which is focused on the construction and retro-fitting of school buildings to reduce and recover from the damages from earthquakes and extreme weather events. Another related multi-intervention program is called "Risk Reduction", which emphasizes advance planning and risk mitigation. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Paused)
  
  
• Food & Nutrition (SFN)
  These discussions started with a call for reviewers for three sets of sponsored summaries on selected topics.This initial series of summaries was sponsored by the Best Practices Portal of the Public Health Agency of Canada Additional material for more summaries has been gathered through a recent project with the School Food & Nutrition Program of the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO). The goal is to create an "e-book" version of a Practitioners/Policy-Makers Handbook on Nutrition Friendly Schools. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Active)
  
  
• Healthy Schools/School Heath Promotion
  This "multi-component approach" is one of the two primary areas of work for the International School Health Network (ISHN).(The other ISHN goal is multi-sector cooperation.)  This IDG has created a research/knowledge development agenda, prepared several wiki-summaries, published a set of Glossary Terms on HS, has started an e-book, published A New Paradigm for School Health Promotion in the 21st Century and has developed a prototype Online Workbook on School Health Promotion.  See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active)
  
  
• Implementing, Maintaining, Scaling Up & Sustaining Programs & Approaches (IMSS)
  These discussions have focused on the critical processes which are so necessary to create and sustain  high quality programs and multi-faceted action plans. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active) 
  
  
• Inclusion/Inclusive Schools
  This discussion group is focused on the different forms of exclusion such as learning disabilities, racism/discrimination, hunger and disease as well as different approaches to promote inclusion such as Child Friendly Schools, Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports, Social & Emotional Learning and others. Materials have been collected as part of a project on preventing violence extremism (where inclusion is the broad prevention strategy). See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active) 
  
  
• Indigenous School Health
  A project funded by the National Collaborating Centre on Indigenous Health in Canada brought together representatives of indigenous nations around the world. The activities included two in-person workshops, several webinars, an inventory of resources, webinars and a workbook on empowering aboriginal youth (with the CAMH Centre on Prevention Science, University of Western Ontario) and a foundations paper describing an Indigenous School Health framework. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active) 
  
  
• Isolated, Alienated Youth
  A project on Preventing Violence Extremism funded by Public Safety Canada has focused our attention on a sub-population of youth that are often misunderstood or ignored by education and other systems. These young people often withdraw from social contact and dropout of schools without externalizing anti-social behaviours such as bullying or delinquency. They often turn to addictive Internet use, self-harm, suicide and are more vulnerable to inspirations or recruitment to hate and extremist groups. Often these young people have trouble making the transition to adulthood and in forming functional adult identities and relationships, Public policy sometimes catches up with these young people through various NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) initiatives. While schools often use various inclusion strategies to strengthen the connections of their students with schools, this sub-population is often overlooked. See the related Wiki-Summaries on this topic as part of the section on Inclusion & Inclusive Schools. (Status: Active)   
  
  
• Integrating Health & Social Programs Within Education Systems
  ISHN was pleased to work with the global organizations representing teachers (Education International) and school leaders (ASCD) in a global dialogue on the integration of health, social and other programs within the core mandates, concerns and constraints of education systems. This dialogue included several regional as well as a global in-person workshop, a global consensus statement that has been endorsed by many organizations, webinars and papers. A chapter of a book on 21st century approaches to school health & development book is also underway. These resources and orgoing activities in the integration or mainstreaming of programs within education systems are being maintained and updated by this international discussion group. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active) 
  
  
• LGBT Students
  ISHN worked with the global Gay & Lesbian Educator Alliance and the US-based Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educators Network (GLSEN) to create a knowledge development and exchange agenda on the programs to support LGBT students. The activities included a collection or resources and research, a Twitter-based news/research feed and an international symposium. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Paused) 


• Low Resource Countries (LRCs)
  ISHN has benefited significantly from working with Save the Children, the Partnership for Child Development, the WASH initiatives of the German Development Agency (GIZ) and UNESCO in organizing a series of webinars on programs in low resource countries.  A partnership with Plan International (UK) and a small grant from the Young Health Program of Astra Zeneca has enabled us organize webinars and prepare summaries of the research and resources of four topics related to preventing non-communicable diseases in LRCs in cooperation with other members of the FRESH Partnership. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active)
  
  
• School Mental Health (SMH)
  A series of webinars and wiki-summaries on School Mental Health (SMH) were funded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in 2011-12. The activities included a set of SMH Glossary Terms, a Twitter-based news/research feed and monthly reports on the latest news and resources. An analysis of SMH research was also completed.Additional materials have been gathered through a project that examined SMH programs in low resource countries. This recent project with Plan International (UK) was funded by the Young Health Program of AstraZeneca also enabled us to update our resources on this topic. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active)
     
• Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation & Improvement (MREI)
  Our 1999 work with the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) on a report on the status of health and HIV policies and programs began these discussions. In 2005, a project including a survey and consultations reporting on the capacities of Canadian provinces in school health promotion and preventing obesity added to the list of topics and knowledge. A series of webinars and wiki-summaries on MREI were funded by the USA Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in 2010. A Twitter-based news/research feed and a collection of Glossary Terms were also published at that time. A 2016 project with the Eastern Mediterranean office of WHO produced several summaries and background information. Currently, a project being undertaken with UNICEF, UNESCO and other partners is adding more knowledge to this discussion. The focus on monitoring and reporting for the purposes of accountability has evolved to one more focused on using data and evaluations for the purposes of self-directed improvement at all levels of organizations. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Active) 
  
  
• Physical Activity (PA)
  ISHN has maintained a list of resources and research on physical activity and schools over the years. A recent project with Plan International (UK), which was funded by the Young Health Program of AstraZeneca, has enabled us to update and organize this collection. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Paused)   
  
  
• Safe Schools (Delinquency, Bullying, Violence, Crime, Security & Anti-Social Behaviours)
  ISHN has maintained a list of research and resources on the multi-component approach called "safe schools" for several years. This approach is a partnership between the education, law enforcement, youth justice and other sectors to prevent a variety of anti-social behaviours. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics. (Status: Paused) 
   
• Safe Schools (Buildings & Facilities)
  This discussion focuses on the construction and retrofitting of schools and facilities to mitigate the risks and reduce the harms from earthquakes, extreme weather and other natural disasters See the related wiki-summaries on these topics. (Status Paused)
  
  
• Sexual Health, HIV/AIDS
  A series of webinars built on several previous Canadian projects on preventing HIV/AIDS and promoting sexual health. These discussions were first sponsored by the Sexual Health & Sexually Transmitted Infections Section of the Public Health Agency of Canada. See the related wiki-summaries on these topics. (Status: Paused)
  
  
• Substance Abuse Prevention (SAP)
  A small grant from the Office on Drug Policy and the by Community Initiatives Fund, Health Canada) enabled us to organize a series of webinars and prepare several accompanying wiki-summaries. During the project a monthly report on news/research is published from excerpts from the ISHN Members Information Service, a Twitter-based news/research feed and a series of Glossary Terms was published. A partnership with Plan International (UK) and a small grant from the Young Health Program of AstraZeneca has enabled us to update the materials from the Canadian project as well as publish policy briefs and other resources on alcohol & drug use in Low Resource Countries. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Active)
  
  
• Teacher Education & Development (TED)
  The focus of this discussion group is broader than the preparation of specialist Health, Personal & Social Development (HPSD) teachers to include a variety of educators as well as other professionals who work with or within schools such as nurses, social workers and psychologists. Activities ahve included wiki-summaries on a career-long approach through different stages and structures in TED. A partnership with the Global Network of Deans of Education is taking a workforce development approach through a Consortium of Education and Other Faculties. See the related Wiki-Summaries on these topics.(Status: Active)   

Here is how you can participate in our International Discussion Groups as a:

• Presenter, Discussant or Participant in our webinars and online discussions.. See our schedule of upcoming events by clicking on the web links noted here or by contacting dmccall@internationalschoolhealth.org
• Reviewer: When a first draft of a summary or series of summaries has been prepared, ISHN will issue a call for reviewers. Each wiki-summary has a space provided for comments and each set of topics has a mini-blog/discussion page. 
• Contributor: Usually there will be 3-4 active contributors to a summary or series of summaries. They are expected to help to develop the rough drafts by identifying relevant sources, help to prepare the first draft, and participate in the completion of the "first edition" of the summary. They also retain the right to publish or adapt the content for other publications, subject to agreement with the lead writer/editor and co-contributors.
• Writer: A writer is the person or persons who prepares the draft summaries prepared as part of this knowledge exchange program. This person has the right to recruit and approve contributors and will do the writing or assign the writing of the summaries in cooperation with ISHN staff. The writers retain all rights to publish or adapt the summary for publishing in journals or on other web sites. Their role will be time-limited (as they determine) but will likely mean a period of 3-5 months of reviewing or preparing draft texts.
• Editors/Mentors: An editor/mentor will guide the development of a set of topics. They will be recognized leaders on the topics under their guidance. They will assist ISHN in recruiting writers and help to frame the overall content for the topic. (ISHN staff will do the copy editing for grammar, clarity and formatting).
• Sponsors: University-based centres, faculty members and their classes, non-governmental organizations, research agencies, government ministries and others are being requested to sponsor a series of summaries on specific topics or series of topics that is of interest to them. Their sponsorship can be either in-kind (assigning writers/contributors of their choosing) or through small grants to ISHN or other partners in this knowledge exchange program. Sponsors retain the right to publish the sponsored materials on their own web site, in cooperation with this knowledge exchange program and web site.
  

For more information, please contact:
dmccall@internationalschoolhealth.org
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