It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Jamaica Plain and classes are just getting underway. Meanwhile, in the library, a group of parents gather around a spread of breakfast treats ready to do some learning of their own.
Since 2003, parents and caregivers have been coming together at the Kennedy School for El Grupo, a weekly breakfast club made possible by the Jamaica Plain Mental Health Network (JP Network), a collaboration of four health centers, including Martha Eliot Health Center, and three Boston schools. The JP Network helps parents to manage their children’s behavior and enhance their school experience. The tight-knit group motivates each other to serve as leaders by volunteering at the school and being active in their children’s educational experience. The JP Network also connects families to other community resources, provides violence prevention programs and offers case management to high-risk families.
The JP Network is a shining example of the power of partnerships and how to engage parents in their children’s education. Children’s Hospital Boston relies on partnerships like the JP Network to make a difference in child health.
Through our partnerships, we provide mental health services in schools, prevent injuries in the home, give children with asthma access to education and recreation as well as help youth eat right and get fit. We couldn’t do any of this without our key partners, including community health centers, the Boston Public Schools, government agencies and community-based organizations.
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"The Boston Public Schools values its partnership with Children's Hospital Boston. Together, we're ensuring that students are healthy and ready to learn in school."
Thomas Payzant
Superintendent
Boston Public Schools |
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| Our partnerships with the Boston Public Schools get and A+ |
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Children spend nearly one-third of their day in the classroom. By partnering with the Boston Public Schools (BPS), Children’s Hospital Boston is able to bring many of our services and programs to the place where children spend most of their time. We offer health and health-related services in 45 schools and have major partnerships in 15 others.
Children’s equips school nurses with the knowledge and tools they need to improve the health of students by providing and subsidizing continuing medical education opportunities. These programs help nurses stay on top of asthma, nutrition, depression and several other health issues. Children’s also helped the BPS purchase electronic medical records software, which helps nurses track the health information of their students.
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