The Pan American Health Organization along with its national counterparts including the Ministers of Health, Ministers of Education, and collaborating centers promote the Ibero-American Contest for Good Health Promotion Practices in School Settings. The purpose of this contest is to give recognition to educational centers that promote and practice programs and activities that better the health of their educational community. In health promoting schools, the best health conditions for the students are accompanied by better academic outcomes and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.
The categories of the contest have been selected to highlight good practices in critical topics for the health and wellbeing of the students. Since the beginning, the topics of nutrition, physical activity, and adequate hand washing have received priority attention. In the same way, the contest has opened space to award experiences directed towards benefiting disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in terms of sex, ethnic group, and inequity. In addition, the contest generally includes actions that better institutional infrastructures – for example, increasing access to potable water and latrines or basic sanitation.
The selection of the winning experience occurs in two phases. In the first phase, the members of the judging committee in each country preselect one national winning experience in each category that will go on to compete for the international award. In the second phase, an international judging committee will evaluate all national winning experiences and select one international winner for each category. Schools can participate individually or as a network of schools that create a common project.
The contest will occur every two years, alternating with the Ibero-American Contest for Good Health Promotion Practices in Universities and Institutions of Higher Learning. PAHO congratulates and thanks all of the participating schools for their enthusiastic participation and desire to share good practices with the rest of the academic community.
Below, please find the winners from the latest edition of the contest in 2011. We are looking forward to meeting you all here on this same site concerning your participation in the next edition in 2013.
