Fort Worth Independent School District
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child
The WSCC Model
Every child in every school deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. This is the focus of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The WSCC model strengthens a unified and collaborative approach designed to improve learning and health in our nation's schools. The five youth tenets (healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged) surround the child at the center. The tenets surrounding the child are then surrounded by a ring emphasizing the coordination of school policy, processes, and practices. The third outer ring contains the critical school components that contribute, coordinate, and support the health of every child. These components include: health education, physical education/activity, nutrition environment services, health services, counseling/psychological & social services, social & emotional climate, physical environment, employee wellness, family engagement, and community involvement. The school remains a reflection of its community and requires community input, resources, and collaboration to support students; therefore, the most outer ring emphasizes the need for partnerships and collaboration with community agencies to help schools secure the resources and support necessary to implement the WSCC model.
Coordinated School Health
Texas Education Code (TEC) 38.014 requires all schools to implement a coordinated school health (CSH) program in grades K-8. In Fort Worth ISD this law is met through the work of the Local Wellness Program sponsored by the Health and Physical Education Department. The program utilizes the WSCC framework to develop programming each year. Local Wellness Coordinators (LWC's) are campus-based individuals who champion the health and wellness of student's, faculty, staff, and community members on their perspective campuses. LWC's are chosen by the school principal and can be counselors, school nurses, physical education teachers, classroom teachers, and school librarians. LWC's earn a stipend when wellness tasks are completed. Most importantly, the LWC's are a collective force in contributing to a district-wide focus on health and wellbeing. LWC's engage additional campus members to be on the School Wellness Action Team (SWAT) and work together to plan meaningful opportunities to learn about, engage in, and adopt healthy behaviors.