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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Schools and Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Schools and Health.

Rural Communities Paving the Way: Innovation & Promising Practices in School Meals
A recorded webinar that discusses a shared services model for school food and nutrition services in rural areas. Provides strategies and best practices for implementing innovative school meals programs and networking with surrounding districts.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Author(s): Gay Anderson, Andrea Kruse, Silke West, Mia Medina
Date: 05/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March through September 2020: School Meals Operations Study, Year 1 Report (Final)
Describes trends in Child Nutrition (CN) Program program participation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March through September 2020. Presents data on the number of meals served, operational and financial challenges state agencies and local program operators experienced during the pandemic, and the use of COVID-19 Child Nutrition nationwide waivers. Includes information on challenges rural program operators faced.
Additional links: Report Summary
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Disparities in Implementing COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in Public Schools, United States, 2021–22 School Year
Reports on COVID-19 prevention strategies early in the 2021-22 school year and describes disparities in implementing strategies by school characteristics. Appendix includes data on specific strategies related to mask wearing and ventilation for city, suburban, town, and rural schools.
Additional links: Appendix
Author(s): Sanjana Pampati, Catherine N. Rasberry, Zach Timpe, et al.
Citation: Emerging Infectious Diseases, 29(5), 937-944
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Ventilation Improvements Among K–12 Public School Districts — United States, August–December 2022
Reports on K-12 public school ventilation improvements to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including replacing or upgrading ventilation systems, installing filtration systems, installing ultraviolet germicidal irradiation devices, and improving airflow. Includes data for city, suburb, town, and rural locations.
Author(s): Miguella Mark-Carew, Gloria Kang, Sanjana Pampati, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(14), 372-376
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Medicaid/CHIP Coverage by School Districts, 2016-2020
Provides data on the percent of children covered by Medicaid/CHIP by school district, with separate, searchable lists for each state.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Rural School- and Community-Based Programs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
Highlights several school and community based programs that support the mental health and wellness of LGBTQ+ youth in rural communities. Presents four case studies of youth programs in rural communities in Minnesota and Maine. Discusses the context, organizational overview, key features, and challenges and opportunities for each program.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Robert Libal, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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A Rural Therapist and School Program Address Teen Mental Health
Provides an overview of the behavioral health needs of rural teens. Features a rural West Virginia trauma therapist, as well as a rural Wisconsin school program that incorporates teenagers' strengths and interests and connects them with trusted adults in order to improve their mental health.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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School-Based Telehealth Playbook
Guides health centers through the design, implementation, and operation of a telehealth program that meets the needs of children and adolescents. Covers assessing needs and readiness, program models, business models, technology and equipment, program evaluation, partnerships, and implementation. Highlights examples from rural areas throughout.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: School-Based Health Alliance
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No Kid Hungry 2023 Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit
A toolkit that provides sample communications in both English and Spanish for social media, flyers, postcards, and more to spread awareness about summer meal programs. Includes information on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) implementation guidance for non-congregate meal service in rural areas.
Date: 2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children
Discusses the factors that cause inequities and limited access to resources for young children, such as poverty, food insecurity, abuse and violence, lack of social and emotional safety, inadequate healthcare and schooling, and more. Discusses policy and practices aimed at reducing opportunity gaps, with a focus on historically disadvantaged populations, including those in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Last Updated: 3/26/2024