When Are We Going to Teach Health?

Let’s Teach Health as If Each Child’s Life Depends on It - Because It Does

By: Duncan Van Dusen

Narrated by: Lyle Blaker

Fact: Health improves learning.

Yet nationwide, elementary school students spend 12 times more classroom hours studying history than health. Worse, most kids don’t get enough physical activity and over five million underage youth vape.

In When Are We Going to Teach Health?, Duncan Van Dusen, the CEO of one of the most widely used youth health education programs in the world (CATCH Global Foundation), makes a novel, sometimes irreverent, case for prioritizing “Whole Child” health and Social and Emotional Learning in K-12 schools.

He shows why health drives academic success, what makes teaching health effective, and how to create a school environment that delivers and sustains healthy behavior. Using case studies, tips, and recommended actions, he describes proven youth empowerment and skills-based health education techniques to increase kids’ physical activity and healthy food choices and to decrease youth vaping.

©2020, 2021 Duncan Van Dusen (P)2021 Duncan Van Dusen

Reimagining Health Education

As a parent, I found "When Are We Going to Teach Health?" an invaluable resource offering practical, research-backed strategies for fostering a culture of health with my son at home. However, this book is not just for parents--it's essential reading for health educators, public health professionals, and anyone working with children, families, schools, or communities. Van Dusen effectively bridges theory and action, demonstrating how to move beyond merely presenting health facts to encouraging meaningful behavior change. His insights into role modeling, reinforcement, environmental influences, and relevant case examples make this a must-read for anyone working to influence health behaviors in children and communities. It is a powerful guide for anyone seeking to make health education more effective and engaging for children.