The InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD) was awarded two New Ideas in Education Innovation Awards for 2015-16 by The Oregon Association of Education Service Districts (OAESD).
These annual awards are for innovative ideas, projects or programs initiated in member ESD organizations. The IMESD was awarded for its School Security Initiative and its Wellness Hubs.
The School Security Initiative is a partnership between the IMESD, the City of Pendleton Police Department and other regional law enforcement agencies to identify security concerns at school buildings and develop plans to be more prepared for school incidents. Stuart Roberts, chief of the Pendleton Police Department, has worked diligently to do site visits at all IMESD school districts to inspect buildings and recommend safety improvements.
Integrating health and education to empower students and families to be healthy and ready to learn is the mission of the Wellness Hubs the IMESD has been developing with its districts. The concept of the Wellness Hubs is to form partnerships between school districts, local public health departments and community agencies to provide healthcare at school buildings.
Wellness Hubs are currently operating in the Morrow County, Echo, Milton-Freewater and Umatilla school districts, with plans to implement additional hubs in school districts next school year. Partnering agencies that make this care possible include: Umatilla Morrow Head Start, Capeco, Oregon Department of Human Services, Advantage Dental, Morrow County Health District, Columbia River Community Health Services, Morrow County Court, Morrow County Public Health, Umatilla County Public Health, Boardman Police Department, Morrow County Sheriff’s Department and Community Counseling Solutions through GOBHI (Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Initiative).
“The IMESD is pleased to receive these two OAESD Innovation Awards for these important initiatives because they recognize the tremendous value that regional partnerships have in making a difference for our students across eastern Oregon,” said IMESD superintendent Mark Mulvihill.
According to OAESD’s Innovation Award criteria, the program or project chosen must have a positive impact on students or ESD services and be sustainable and capable of reproduction.
