What is the School Health Index (SHI)?

The School Health Index (SHI) Self-Assessment & Planning Guide was developed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), in partnership with School Administrators and Staff, School Health Experts, parents, and national non-governmental health and education agencies for the purpose of:

Enabling schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs;
Enabling schools to develop an action plan for improving student health, which can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan, and;
Engaging teachers, parents, students, and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health.

The Virgin Islands Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP), undertook this initiative under the Block Grants Program, to create awareness about the increasingly disturbing trend that the youngsters of the Virgin Islands are gearing toward - unhealthy lifestyles leading to obesity and related problems.

TABS reaches out to Help:

In collaboration with the CDPP, BIZVI, LLC., a subsidiary of TABS, conducted the assessments across the private and public schools in the territory (St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John). This assessment:

• Gived momentum to the goal of reducing obesity in the Virgin Island
• Exposed the strengths and weaknesses of the schools in the eight critical components that are part of the SHI
• Assisted schools in understanding and planning for an improvement process
• And provided a basis for schools to apply for funding opportunities.