Catalyst Alternative Private High School Boulder, CO

Health Program

At Catalyst, we recognize that our students’ health and well-being is the foundation for their academic and personal success.  Some of our students may have health-related issues including  physical challenges, emotional and mental health issues or exposure to substance abuse in the home or personally.  For this reason, our first goal is to support our students’ health.  Our program is largely skill based (as opposed to content based) and was designed by Katy Fleming, who was the Health Coordinator for the Boulder Valley Schools.  The health program is coordinated by an experienced licensed professional counselor.

Coordinated School Health Initiative (CSHI)

Because the students at Catalyst have such diverse needs, we believe in a holistic approach to support the health of our entire community.  In 2009, Catalyst implemented the Coordinated School Health Initiative (CSHI) to guide this process.  This program received very high commendations from our Accreditation Team.The CSHI Committee includes teachers, counselors, the principal, parents and other volunteers. In 2009-2010, the CSHI assessed the services and resources provided at Catalyst to address the health-related needs of our school.

The eight components of CSHI are:

  1. Health Education
  2. Physical Education
  3. Health Services
  4. Nutrition Services
  5. Counseling and Psychological Services
  6. Healthy School Environment
  7. Health Promotion for Staff
  8. Family and Community Involvement
“If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want.”

- Elbert Hubbard

The CSHI Committee meets regularly and takes the lead role in carrying out the school’s plan.  In the upcoming school year, we will administer a Student Risk Survey and the 40 Developmental Assets Profile survey to our students.  These surveys will assess the specific needs of our school population, which will help Catalyst create a long-term, school-wide health improvement plan that addresses the highest priority needs of our students.   An increase in Assets has been found to lead to more healthy behavior (Search Institute).

Health Classes

Our Health classes are designed to help students learn relevant and critical skills based on the specific needs of the student.  These skills may include accessing resources,  practicing healthy behavior, effective communication and goal-setting,  decision making, advocating for oneself and others,  and analyzing media as it pertains to these health topics:

  • Wellness
  • Mental Health
  • Violence Awareness and Prevention
  • Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction
  • Human Sexuality
  • Diversity Awareness
  • Injury Prevention

Wednesday Wellness

Supporting our students’ physical, mental and emotional health and learning how to contribute as a citizen in the community are not taken for granted at Catalyst High School, where we devote 20% of the week to these life-long issues and skills.  Wednesdays are devoted to health and wellness in a variety of settings and contexts beyond the walls of the school. In addition, specialists, both in house and guests from outside the school, may lead workshops and classes on subject such as nutrition and stress management. Activities often include physical fitness-related experiences, such as hiking, biking, yoga, individual and team oriented recreational games.

Substance Abuse See Drug Policy

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