We're in!

The initial meeting of the Advisory Group got off to a great start with a citywide Forum on Health Disparities and Education, Coming together for Students Wellness and Achievement . The forum drew more than 400 attendees, who heard from experts about the latest research on the impact of health disparities on student achievement. The presenters included Mirtha Beadle , Deputy Director, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; Dr. Gail Christopher, Vice President of Program Strategy, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Dr. Charles Basch , Richard March Hoe Professor of Health Education at Columbia University Teachers College; Terry Mazany , Interim CEO, Chicago Public Schools; and Dr. Bechara Choucair , Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health.

The forum set the tone for the Action Learning Collaborative Advisory Group meeting, since it made clear the three essential points: health disparities and achievement disparities are inextricably linked; historic and present day racism and discrimination have a measurable detrimental effect on the health of communities of color and, therefore, in the school achievement of their children and; effective partnerships and coordinated efforts among schools, private sector, health departments, government agencies are the only response to the two-pronged crisis of health and achievement in particular among minority children.

For more information about the forum, including all the power point and a video of all presentations, visit: Forum on Health Disparities and Education , Coming together for Students Wellness and Achievement.