Honoree Recognized for Lifetime of Contributions to Student Health
Friday, October 15, 2010 | 10:43am
NASHVILLE – Connie Hall Givens, a noted contributor to the Department of Education, will be posthumously honored with the Lloyd J. Kolbe Award for Lifetime Contributions to Coordinated School Health. The honor is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) and will be presented to a representative on behalf of the honoree at a meeting in Kansas City, Missouri on October 17, 2010.
“Connie Givens will forever be recognized as a champion for children’s health in Tennessee and across the nation,” said Education Commissioner Bruce Opie. “Her legacy with the department and the Coordinated School Health program is extraordinary and will forever live in the health and academic success of our students.”
As the first recipient of this distinctive award, Givens’ tireless dedication was evident in her numerous accomplishments over her 36-year career. From a school nurse for 18 years in Hawkins County to a pioneer of the Coordinated School Health framework in Tennessee, she promoted the connection between adolescent health and academic achievement. Her leadership as director of the Tennessee Coordinated School Health (CSH) Program from 2001 until her death in November 2009 guided Tennessee as the first state in the nation to implement the CDC-recommended Coordinated School Health model in districts across the entire state.
Tennessee’s Office of Coordinated School Health was established by the Department of Education in February 2001 in partnership with the Department of Health to encourage healthy lifestyles, provide support to at-risk students, and help reduce the prevalence of health problems.
Lloyd J. Kolbe was DASH’s founding director and one of the authors of the comprehensive eight-component model for coordinated school health that engages school personnel, students and the community in areas such as physical education, mental health and access to health services.
For more information, contact Amanda Maynord Anderson at (615) 532-7817 or Amanda.Anderson@tn.gov.
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