AWSP Blog

As another school year begins, we know the back-to-school season can bring a mix of excitement and stress for teachers and school staff. That’s why Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools is proud to champion the well-being of the entire school community. Let us help you set the right tone for the year with these resources and webinars.

Right now, most students get their information about firearms from television, movies, social media—even video games. By the time the average U.S. student graduates from high school, they’ve seen more than 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone, many involving firearms. Yet instruction on firearm violence is not included in Washington State’s health education standards. For the past decade, Firearm Injury Prevention Educators has provided public health–informed education on firearm injury prevention to high school students. We present the facts—without embellishment, without a political agenda.

AWSP has partnered with Books Are Fun to promote their Book Blast program, which is already making an impact in schools across Washington. Every student receives at least one brand-new, age-appropriate book. There’s no cost to your school—no invoices, no budget concerns. The Book Blast team handles 90% of the work, minimizing the lift for you and your staff. It brings families and communities together around a shared goal: literacy for all. To get started, schedule a quick Book Blast chat with the Books Are Fun team!

Washington Breathes is gathering information about resources available to middle and high schools to assist students who are using commercial tobacco products and who are dependent on nicotine. Through this survey, we hope to better understand cessation resources or programs that schools are utilizing, as well as identify needs and barriers. We recognize that many schools are struggling with the amount of youth vaping and nicotine use, and want to understand what supports are needed.

Washington Breathes and the Rutgers Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco are asking educators to complete a simple survey to help us gather photos of products and information about the amounts of e-cigarettes, vape pens, cigarettes, oral nicotine pouches, and other commercial tobacco products from students that have accumulated in your school or school district.