School Health Environments

The Department of Population Science and Policy strives to protect the most vulnerable of our populations by participating in programs and projects that focus on early childhood development and health. There are both in school and out of school factors that change the way that young students learn and their ability to focus. Some of these things include sleep, stress, housing, and asthma. Our projects include:

 

 

 

 

  1. A program focused on household trigger reduction strategies for low-income families by using community health worker home visits aimed at reducing the emergency department visits of children with uncontrolled asthma.
  2. Monitoring the results from the recent requirement to test all lead level in water fountains and sinks in all elementary schools.
  3. A partnership with Muffley and Washington Elementary Schools and the Illinois Department of Public Health in Decatur to pilot a school-based asthma control program.
  4. A partnership to evaluate impact of trauma-informed learning on students and teachers.