This Initiative is a part of the Iowa Department of Education, Comprehensive School Improvement, Strategic Plan Initiative Eight to advocate for strong community partnerships and linkages among schools, parents, community members, business, and other institutions.

The goal of the Iowa Communities and Schools Health Promotion Initiative is for all communities throughout the state to establish healthy communities and schools with coordinated health services through empowerment areas, school improvement, and other community initiatives.

This goal supports collaboration of the Iowa Departments of Education (DE), Public Health (DPH), and Human Services (DHS), and other state initiatives. The foundation of the initiative is the belief that healthy students, staff, and communities encourage optimum learning and teaching, and generates productive citizens. A Health Promoting Community and School will constantly strengthen its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning, and working including:

• Advancing health and learning by maximizing community resources to ensure community health;
• Engaging all health and education personnel, organizations, children and youth, parents, families, and community members to make the community and school healthy;
• Providing a healthy environment for Iowans of all ages through collaboration with community and school programs. These promotion programs include, but are not limited to, health education, health services, health promotion, nutrition and food safety, opportunities for physical education, activity, and recreation, counseling, social support, and mental health; and 
• Implementing policies and practices that respect individual and cultural differences providing multiple opportunities for success, acknowledging good efforts and intentions, and promoting personal achievement.