Project Lead: Megan Gildin, Ed.M.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)’s Office of Safe and Healthy Climate is overseeing an increased number of federal and state initiatives intended to promote student well-being. ISBE requests support in building coherence and alignment across the investments which fall under the Office of Safe and Healthy Climate, Wellness Department, Student Care Department, and Nutrition Department, and to understand how and where these investments are being implemented at the local level with an eye toward equity.
R9CC will support the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) through the Wellness Initiatives Inventory and Analysis to build the organizational and resource capacities of ISBE staff to understand and maximize the value of student wellness initiatives. R9CC will support ISBE’s Office of Safe and Healthy Climate staff with a) aligning strategic documents to support cross-department alignment across the various departments within the Office of Safe and Healthy Climate and with the ISBE strategic plan; b) gathering and analyzing data on available mental health support across the state and key wellness-related outcomes using geographic information system (GIS) technology; c) supporting dissemination, communication, and sustainability planning for continued use of the GIS map; and d) providing consultation to support advancement of social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation across Illinois.