"The fundamental conditions and resources for health are:peace,shelter,education,food,income,a stable eco-system,sustainable resources,social justice, and equity.

Our societies are complex and interrelated. Health cannot be separated from other goals. The inextricable links between people and their environment constitutes the basis for a socioecological approach to health. The overall guiding principle for the world, nations, regions and communities alike, is the need to encourage reciprocal maintenance - to take care of each other, our communities and our natural environment. The conservation of natural resources throughout the world should be emphasized as a global responsibility.

Systematic assessment of the health impact of a rapidly changing environment - particularly in areas of technology, work, energy production and urbanization - is essential and must be followed by action to ensure positive benefit to the health of the public. The protection of the natural and built environments and the conservation of natural resources must be addressed in any health promotion strategy."

The role of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to help people develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and for the future, and to act upon those decisions. ESD is an approach to teaching and learning based on the ideals and principles that underlie sustainability – human rights, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, peace, environmental protection, democracy, health, biological and landscape diversity, climate change, gender equality, and protection of indigenous cultures

UNESCO urges all Member States of UNESCO to involve as many stakeholders as possible in activities to develop and implement policies, strategies, and activities throughout the Decade. A number of key action themes have been developed to highlight possible areas of focus and project implementation:gender equality,health promotion,environment,rural development,cultural diversity,peace and human security,sustainable urbanization, and sustainable consumption

• addressing the needs of the whole child to identify clusters of strengths, problems and conditions. For example, clean water, discouraging the use of pesticides, climate change and sun protection are are inter-related and can be addressed in holistic programs
  
• recognizing the limits of school-based and school-linked programs while still maximizing their potential use in partnership with parents, communities and community-based and government agencies
• selecting a corresponding synergistic combination of programs and policies to address them
• striving for comprehensive approaches, coordinated programs and whole school strategies through means such as assigning and staffing coordinator positions, coordinating policies at the ministry and agency levels, using formal mechanisms such as inter-agency protocols and informal means such as joint professional development programs
• using multiple, coordinated interventions, including school, environmental agency and health authorities policy, instruction, health, social and other services, different forms of social support (such as parent involvement, youth engagement, community participation) and changes to the physical environment to improve student knowledge and skills, alter risk and protective factors and influence practices that influence health or the environment
• selecting or adapting evidence-based and experience-tested programs, policies and practices as well as implementation plans/models
  
• building community, system, agency and professional capacity for sustainable programs, policies and practices through adequate budgets, ongoing knowledge exchange and workforce development, regular monitoring and reporting on program capacity etc
  
• seeking congruence with the educational mandate and constraints of school systems
• deepening our understanding of the complex, ecological factors that are the reality of the multiple, open, loosely-coupled and bureaucratic systems that work with and within schools

• enabling, engaging and empowering young people to develop fully through attention to the whole child and not just specific problems, by building assets such as positive relationships with others and mental health while timing interventions to match developmental stages
• informing, involving, educating and supporting parents and families through school-linked parent programs delivered in cooperation with other agencies
  
• the transition from early childhood programs and the home into primary school is a time of vulnerability and potential continued strength as young children leave from various pre-school programs. Other transitions (into secondary schools, between schools when families are forced to move often due to economic needs,from school to work or training) also need attention.
  
• classroom instruction whose intended outputs are in the students’ knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, awareness of services and how to access them locally, skills such as social skills, self-knowledge and behavioural intentions (Note: most instructional programs produce minimal behaviour change but changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills etc may be a prerequisite for change)
• whole school strategies that can address broadly based issues such as preventing dropouts
• coordinated agency-community-school based/linked programs
• comprehensive approaches (multi-level, multi-system, multi-issue) include changes at the ministry level, school board/agency/health authority/police service level and the school-neighbourhood level. They include synergistic programs that address aspects of other issues such as addiction, violence, crime, and others. The focus at this level should be on system capacity and change.

• Climate Change has caused increased risks from exposure to the sun. Schools can promote sun safety through instruction, parent involvement, modifications to the school grounds to create shade and cooperating with voluntary health organizations
  
  
• Climate change has created extreme weather conditions. Schools can educate students about the causes of these new weather patterns, ensure that students and parents are aware of community safety, risk mitigation and emergency response plans and cooperate wuthg authorities in emergency response procedures
  
  
• Pesticides are a major cause of human health problems as well as deterioration of habitats. Schools can educate students, inform parents, cooperate with community awareness campaigns and use pesticide-free procedures to maintain the school grounds.
  
  
• The use of environmentally hazardous cleaning agents also affects human health. Schools can instruct students, inform parents and ensure that cleaning products used in schools and classrooms are not destroying the environment
  
  
• At current levels, human consumption of natural resources is not sustainable. Schools can restore instructional programs that educate students in sustainable consumer and home economics, ensure that use of non-renewable resources is minimal in schools, conserve energy, teach and practice re-using and recycling, participate in community awareness campaigns, inform parents and address the economic ideology that "growth" and over or extravagant consumption is desirable.
  
  
• In low income countries and low income communities, basic needs such as clean water, sustainable sanitation procedures, pollutant free food supplies and other minimal conditions for health and sustainable development are not being met.. Health, environmental and educational authorities must work together to eliminate or mitigate those hazards through comprehensive efforts to address the needs of these countries and communities.
  
  
• The growth and proliferation of long-distance supply chains in food supply systems often results in increased risk of supply problems in the event of natural or other disasters, higher use of energy and exploitation of workers. Schools can educate students, inform parents, participate in community garden programs and order food from local or sustainable producers. These programs can also address the issue of genetically modified food.
  
  
• Energy use in transporting children to schools is part of the overall problem with the use of fossil fuels. Schools can reduce emissions through the use of "walking school buses" and the elimination of bus and car idling outside schools.
  
  
• Please add additional summary statements here
  

• Eco-Schools (Foundation for Environmental Education)
  Eco-Schools is a programme for environmental management and certification, designed to implement sustainable development education in schools by encouraging children and youth to take an active role in how their school can be run for the benefit of the environment.
  
  
• Green School Bali
  One of the most amazing schools on earth, is giving its students a relevant holistic and green education. The students come from all corners of the world, many relocating with their parents just for the experience of attending.
  
  
• Les écoles vertes Brundtland
  Le programme des écoles vertes Brundtland a été lancé en 1992 par la CEQ (representant les enseignante (es) au Quebec, Canada).
  
  
• Healthy Schools Assessment Tool (Environmental Protection Agency, USA)
  The HSAT is a fully customizable and easy to use software program designed to help school districts evaluate and manage ALL of their environmental, safety and health issues.
  
  
• Educational Institutions and Sustainable Consumption (BINK): In the pilot project BINK schools and high schools explore ways to promote more healthy and sustainable lifestyles by systematically transforming the organizational culture. Teachers, students and other stakeholders, assisted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, engage in the participatory development of measures of intervention.
  
  
• Please add more examples of multi-intervention programs that address health and sustainable development here
  

Policy

• California School District Policy on Cleaning Products
• Michigan School District policy Includes Local Foods http://is.gd/cy4UB

Changes to the Physical Environment and Resource Allocations

Instruction

Social Support

• A number of American school health and green school organizations are promoting a joint "healthy schools day" awareness campaign that links health and education for sustainable development
  

Support Services