How the 2024 Healthy Kids Survey Will Help Eagle County
Starting Wednesday, Jan. 10, administration of the bi-annual Healthy Kids Colorado Survey will begin for Eagle County students. This will be the 10th year that the survey has been administered locally to gain insight into middle school and high school student behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions.
“This data is valuable for schools, elected officials, non-profit agencies, recreation districts and others to understand needs and strengths facing local youth. The information helps these parties determine priorities and secure much-needed resources to support youth and families,” said Michelle Stecher, executive director of Mountain Youth.
This survey asks students questions about school life, school safety, relationships, mental and physical health, extracurricular involvement, alcohol and other substance abuse, sexual activity and more. There are different questions for middle schools and high schools.
The data can be critical for grants and funding to support Eagle County youth. In fact, Dana Erpelding, senior director of operations for Vail Health Behavioral Health, said that Vail Health Behavioral Health has previously used this data for federal and state grant applications.
This has included providing support for Your Hope Center school-based clinicians, SpeakUp ReachOut suicide prevention training, as well as continued programming in schools by local behavioral education providers, including Mountain Youth, SpeakUp ReachOut and Bright Future Foundation.
