Increasing Access to Drinking Water in Schools: New CDC Microlearning Modules Available

Schools can help students stay hydrated by ensuring there is access to safe drinking water at no charge throughout the school day. Drinking water provides a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages, improves cognitive function, including memory and attention, helps children maintain a healthy weight status, reduces risk for some chronic diseases, such as type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and helps prevent dental cavities, if fluoridated.

Yet 1 in 5 children and adolescents do not drink any plain water during the day and about half of school-aged children are underhydrated.

To address this, CDC Healthy Schools has developed a series of professional development microlearning modules, with each video lasting less than 5 minutes, for school administrators, teachers, wellness coordinators, and school health committees and teams to learn more about the steps to take, and resources available, to help schools:

• Ensure water is safe,

• Make clean, free drinking water easily available in multiple places at school,

• Meet free drinking water requirements in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, and

• Promote water as an ideal beverage choice.

Visit the CDC Healthy Schools website for more professional development resources.