Health promotion at school and at work
Children and young people should engage with the topic of health from an early age. Schools can be used as an environment for promoting healthy living, allowing pupils to acquire knowledge, attitudes and good habits. Parents and teachers, for example, can provide support.
GIVE is an initiative that promotes measures and activities to support the health of children and young people at school. It is a service centre that mediates between health promotion institutions and schools.
A short video explains the idea behind GIVE in more detail:
Some of the aims of GIVE include:
● Promoting healthy eating and drinking
● Promoting physical activity
● Promoting a positive, non-violent school climate
● Preventing alcohol and cigarette consumption
The offers and resources are available to teachers, school doctors and anyone working in educational institutions under the following links:
The social insurance provider has set up service centres for health promotion in schools focusing on the school environment. Please contact the relevant service centre in your federal province:
The brochure "Gesundheit macht Schule" contains a lot more information on the subject of health promotion at school:
Under the following link you will find lots of valuable materials on topics such as nutrition, exercise, psychosocial health and safety:
Psychosocial health plays a major role in the school environment. There are many ways to access psychological counselling, for example via a hotline or e-mail.
Talking to someone, exchanging ideas or finding out about the issues that concern you also helps with regard to psychosocial health at school. Children, young people and adults can find advice under these two links:
Counselling services can help to overcome personal crises, challenges or fears related to school or everyday life. An overview of school counselling offers for all those who work with children and young people can be found here:
School psychology
School psychologists are key points of contact in problem and crisis situations. On the one hand, they offer psychological support to everyone in the school environment, for example relating to learning difficulties, educational choices, anxiety, or behavioural problems. On the other hand, school psychologists advise schools and support the implementation of programmes to promote psychological health. In this way, they make an important contribution to a positive classroom and school climate.
Under the following link both pupils and teachers as well as parents and guardians can find information and help:
Information and materials for teachers, parents and anyone else involved with children and young people can be found at these two websites Links:
Social work in schools
Whether it’s bullying, violence, performance pressure, exam anxiety, or family problems – school social workers support children and young people with these and similar issues. They address everyday topics in a trusting atmosphere and also act as a bridge between pupils, teachers, and parents.
The following video helps you to understand what school social work is and in which areas it can help:
Sometimes, there are also some small actions you can take to get some relief: take a deep breath and recharge your batteries with a few exercises:
Last update: September 10, 2025
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