dqf2019012

This investment supports the Chicago Community Oral Health Forum (CCOHF), a project of Heartland Health Outreach, to develop and expand the delivery of school-based oral health education to students in the Chicago Public School system, support the development of dental homes for students with urgent needs, and conduct analysis of the relationship between oral health and student attendance and academic performance. In partnership with the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Department of Public Health, CCOHF will work towards the full integration of oral health education in schools located in high need communities. By leveraging community partners and delivering oral health education within schools, this investment will improve oral health literacy within the community, engage community members in their oral health, and increase the likelihood that oral health is incorporated into school health policy. $205,785 will support personnel, travel, communications, and supplies that contribute to CCOHF’s ability to execute the project. The proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 Goal 2 of incorporating oral health into the primary education system and the target of the 10 largest school districts incorporate oral health into their systems.