Delaware’s support of school-based health centers is noteworthy:
- Fifty-five SBHCs in the state, including one in every public, non-charter high school
- Legislative funding for two new SBHCs in high-needs elementary schools per year
- The Delaware School-Based Health Alliance (DSBHA) and New Castle County (DE) Government, with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, built upon this momentum to fund the opening of four additional SBHCs – termed wellness centers – in high-needs communities, including three in elementary schools and one in a middle school
Building on our work together to implement Apex’s School-Based Health Center Data Hub in Delaware, DSBHA partnered with Apex to complete a qualitative summative evaluation of the four new wellness centers. Our biggest learnings surrounded considerations for implementing an SBHC in an elementary school, which is very different from high schools. Specifically, an elementary school’s physical layout and staff collaboration closely considers the safety of students ages of 4 to 11 years old. Elementary SBHCs are strategically placed inside the building – either with no external access or whose outside doors are equipped with alarms – and students are escorted to the SBHC by staff.
We employed a digital systems mapping tool, Kumu, to facilitate learning and engagement with the evaluation findings. This included a map with preliminary insights while data collection was ongoing and a final map representing the full evaluation report. Our utilization focus supports a diverse audience to engage with findings in a format that’s both online and interactive.
Our skilled team included four Evaluators and a Project Support Specialist. Apex’s dispersed talent was an asset, as we leveraged staff proximity to Delaware for onsite visits. Apex’s commitment to equitable evaluation was firmly at the forefront. We shared preliminary evaluation findings with participants and created products designed for different audiences – ranging from parents to legislators and decision-makers.
Apex’s community-based, participatory approach was also informed by our equity stance. We authentically engaged and connected to diverse partners and community members to tell a meaningful story about the implementation of the four new wellness centers, making reporting available in two languages.