WED-075 - Strengthening Cross-sector Partnerships to Advance Adolescent Health in School-based Settings

Brief Abstract Summary: Explore how cross-sector collaboration between state level public health and education systems support school-based adolescent health initiatives, with data serving as a common thread to exemplify state strategies. Through lessons learned from Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health Promotion Plus (LEAHP+) Community of Practice (CoP), we will describe how state level public health and education partnerships strengthened planning and implementation of adolescent health initiatives in schools and explain how data can support collaboration and inform decision-making in cross-sector adolescent health programs.

Detailed abstract description: Schools serve as a vital setting for adolescent health promotion, yet meaningful progress requires intentional collaboration between education and public health. Through the Leadership Exchange for Adolescent Health Promotion Plus (LEAHP+) project, The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) engaged two cohorts of state/territorial health departments and education agencies in a Community of Practice designed to strengthen partnerships through structured action planning, peer learning, and technical assistance. A critical element of this work was encouraging jurisdictions to use data not only to monitor outcomes but also to drive planning and support implementation of evidence-based programs. ASTHO supported jurisdictions in capacity building activities such as developing data frameworks and dashboards, integrating education and health data, and leveraging data as an evaluation tool. These efforts allowed states to tell compelling stories about adolescent health, build stakeholder buy-in and align resources across sectors. Additionally, through cross-collaboration across and within jurisdictions, targeted technical assistance, and subject matter expert support, jurisdictions built and strengthened relationships within and across organizations. These relationships allowed for bidirectional sharing of strategies to improve adolescent health through school-based health services and integrating education and health data into planning, implementation and evaluation of school-based adolescent health programs. This session will highlight jurisdiction examples, including New Mexico, Illinois, and American Samoa, to showcase how strengthened cross-sector relationships translated into tangible improvements in school-based adolescent health.