AsthmainSchoolsBlueprint.com

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This website was developed to assist individuals to implement the Creating Asthma Friendly Schools resource kit which is available at AsthmaInSchools.com. This Implementation Blueprint is intended for use by Health Care Professionals with a general understanding of asthma who work with school communities including parents, school personnel, students and boards of education.

For those wanting to implement any of the suggestions in this Implementation Blueprint they should first familiarize themselves with the contents of the Creating Asthma Friendly Schools website AsthmaInSchools.com.

This website, along with its' companion website AsthmaInSchools.com was created to support the work of the Public Health School Asthma Project, an initiative of the Asthma Plan of Action, Funded by the Government of Ontario, Canada.

The Public Health School Asthma Project: An Ontario Initiative

In 2000, as the result of recommendations of a coroner's inquest and an expert panel, the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long Term Care created the Asthma Plan of Action to address asthma needs in the province. In 2002, several pilot projects were created under the Asthma Plan of Action, one of which was the Public Health Schoool Asthma Pilot Project. This 3 year pilot project involved public health units in five regions in Ontario: Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Sudbury and Peel.

The overall goal of the Public Health School Asthma Pilot Project was to create asthma friendly and supportive school environments that enable children with asthma to be successful managers of their asthma thereby reducing school absenteeism, days of interrupted activity and health services use.  This goal has served as a guide for all the of the projects' subsequent activities.  It was achieved through the implementation of the Creating Asthma Friendly Schools Resource Kit and the provision of a school-based asthma education program, the "Roaring Adventures of Puff" to students with asthma by public health nurses.

The Public Health School Asthma Pilot Project was extensively evaluated and resulted in significant improvements at the level of the school and of the individual.  Benefits experienced included improving the asthma friendliness and supportiveness of school environments, which created a safe place for students with asthma, as well as an environment that facilitated successful self-management, personal growth and integration into school life.  Overall, this project resulted in reductions in the number of missed school days due to asthma, the number of days of interrupted physical activity due to asthma, and the number of urgent health care visits due to asthma.  As a result of the project's interventions, students experienced improvements in their overall quality of life.

If you would like more information about the pilot and/or the Project as it is today please visit the Contact Us page and submit your question. One of the current Public Health School Asthma Project coordinators will provide a response as quickly as possible.