District Health Infrastructure | Action for Healthy Kids
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District Health Infrastructure

District Health Infrastructure

Building the policies, systems, and capacity that make whole child health sustainable.

Healthy schools are built on more than individual programs. Lasting change requires district-level leadership, strong teams, supportive policies, aligned resources, and the capacity to turn priorities into consistent practice across schools.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) helps districts strengthen the infrastructure behind whole child health — so improvements can take root, reach more students, and continue over time.

What Strong District Health Infrastructure Looks Like

  • Leadership & Governance

    District leaders champion whole child health, responsibilities are clear, and cross-functional teams help coordinate the work.

  • Funding & Strategic Alignment

    Health and wellness priorities are connected to district goals, resources, and plans for long-term sustainability.

  • Data & Continuous Improvement

    Districts use data to understand needs, set priorities, monitor progress, and improve implementation.

  • Policy to Practice & Capacity

    Strong policies are translated into consistent practices, with staff receiving the tools, professional learning, coaching, and support needed to carry the work forward.

Together, these areas provide a framework for AFHK’s work with school districts and help guide how support is tailored to local priorities, readiness, and capacity.

How Action for Healthy Kids Helps

Our work is tailored to district priorities, readiness, and local context and includes:

  • Assessment and action planning to identify strengths, gaps, and priorities

  • District health and wellness team support to bring the right people together and strengthen shared ownership

  • Wellness policy review and implementation to close the gap between policy and practice

  • Technical assistance, coaching, and professional learning to build local capacity

  • Implementation funding and practical resources to help districts move priorities into action

  • Peer learning and collaboration so district leaders can learn from one another

  • Measurement and continuous improvement to track progress and strengthen sustainability

The District Impact Network

AFHK’s District Impact Network provides a national platform for helping districts strengthen whole child health over time.

Districts can access resources, learning opportunities, peer connections, and grants. Through deeper partnerships, AFHK pairs technical assistance and coaching with implementation funding, professional learning, policy and systems support, and continuous improvement.

Explore the District Impact Network
A group of children pulling together on a rope outdoors

Working With States and Districts

From State Strategy to District Implementation

AFHK works with state agencies, school districts, public health partners, funders, and community organizations to translate health priorities into sustainable district-level practice.

Our state and regional partnership work brings together district health assessment, planning, professional learning, technical assistance, policy implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement to strengthen district capacity and school health systems.

A continuous cycle, centered on student health

Student
Health
  1. Assess
  2. Prioritize
  3. Build Capacity
  4. Implement
  5. Measure & Improve
  6. Sustain

Partner With Us

Let’s build the infrastructure that makes whole child health last — in your district, region, or state.

Partner With Us