Program Overview

The mission of the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program is to empower and develop school nurses as leaders in community health services teams to improve practices that impact student health.

The program is available for teams of school nurses and their community/administrative partner(s) and includes:

School Health Leadership Institute - A six-day residential Institute located in New Brunswick, NJ that provides an opportunity for teams of school nurses and community/administrative partner(s) from a community to develop their leadership and project management skills. Note: Teams will be invited back for a second two-day session at the conclusion of the fellowship program.
Enduring Change Plans - These plans provide a framework and action plan for fellows to engage their communities in sustainable change.
Online Continuing Education Courses - These courses offer fellows and other school health personnel state of the art health information. 
Customized Mentoring, Coaching, and Support - Onsite coaching and support will be provided to each community team in the form of site visits and quarterly conference calls.
Alumni Network - Exclusive offerings for alumni and special networking opportunities to meet fellows from across the United States and beyond.

Application and Participation Notes

Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, this FREE* professional development opportunity for school nurses and their colleagues utilizes a competitive application process. Once accepted to the fellowship program, individuals commit to completing online learning modules, attending the Leadership Institute, and engaging in a local community initiative. All applicants must commit to participating in the fellowship program in its entirety:

• Week-long Institute
• Monthly webinars and online content
• Community health coaching
• Fellowship Graduation

*Travel to the Institute is NOT included
*Teams will be assigned Institute training dates at random

The Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Institute will be held (July 17-22, 2016 OR July 31-August 5, 2016).  All team participants (the school nurses and the community/administrative partners) are responsible for completing the prerequisite on-line courses and for attending the entire program.  By completing this application you are agreeing to participate in the program in its entirety.

This program requires online courses and interaction, while courses are not acceptance criteria, members of a team who do not demonstrate basic computer competency may be required to take a “computer crash course”.

Developing a Team

A team must consist of two to four school nurses and one or two community or administrative partner(s).

The most successful teams are created thoughtfully.  They include individuals with a range of experiences (from new nurses to those with some years of experience).  School nurses on successful teams have demonstrated appreciation for community health models, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and peers, leadership potential, and a commitment to remaining in the field of school nursing into the future.  It is not expected that all applicants have served in leadership roles prior to entering the program, but rather they possess the willingness, motivation, and potential to serve as community and professional leaders in a variety of ways.

Partner Qualifications

Partners should be individuals in your school/community who inspire leadership and growth in professionals they supervise or serve.  These individuals understand that a great team consists of forward thinkers who want to create change in their environment.  Partners are likely to be community-wide (e.g. district) supervisors, community health partners, chairs of your wellness committees, or other individuals who are intimately involved in health matters for your school and community, and who are already in existing leadership roles.   

Partners should be either school-based administrators or community-based health leaders.  Teams with two partners MUST have a representative from each sector. If a team includes one partner it can be from either school administration or public health offices.

Evidence of Institutional Support and Commitment Agreement

Team Institutional Support: One (1) Team Evidence of Institutional Support form for the entire team signed by a, e.g. Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of Student Support Service, must be submitted for the application to be considered. 

Individual Evidence of Institutional Support:  All school nurses on a team must have documentation of support from their building principal or administrator to participate in the fellowship program. 

Individual Two-Year Commitment Agreement:  All school nurses must acknowledge that they understand the expectations of school nurse fellows.  This includes being present for the entirety of the School Health Leadership Institute, contributing to the creation of Enduring Change Plans, participating in online continuing education courses, attending onsite mentoring appointments, and becoming an active member in the fellowship alumni network.

Conclusion

In completing this application you are indicating that all team members have committed to participate in the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program in its entirety.  You will also ensure that each team member completes and submits the Required Individual Application.