IDEAS

The Advancing Innovation and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Action in Schools (IDEAS) for Health initiative is part of the Colorado State University Prevention Research Center. We are in part funded by The Colorado Health Foundation. IDEAS is a multi-university collaborative informing the translation of high quality, rigorous research to sustainable practices and policies for creating healthy schools. IDEAS for Health is part of a collective impact effort improving the alignment of systems to support school environments and cultures that integrate health and wellness equitably for all students and staff. Current IDEAS for Health projects include: the development and dissemination of best practices in comprehensive health and wellness in schools, conducting new research to understand the factors associated with successful health and wellness planning and implementation of evidence based programs and practices, as well as developing an Innovation Lab that facilitates and test innovations in creating healthier school environments. The efforts of IDEAS for Health are guided by ongoing feedback from state and community agencies and organizations as well as local district and school stakeholders to reduce the time it takes for research to inform practice and policy and to promote sustainability of initiatives.