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The FRESH Framework and Partnership
FRESH, an intersectoral framework and global partnership for promoting the educational success, health, and development of school-age children and adolescents through schools, was launched by UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank during the World Education Forum, Dakar in April 2000. Since its launch, these four UN agencies have been joined by other agencies and several global non-governmental organizations, networks and donors which have endorsed the common approach and agreed to collaborate within the partnership. This web site provides a brief overview of the FRESH framework and the FRESH partnership, along with updates on its and other global activities. We also share information from over 40 organizations that promote comprehensive approaches and programs using the school as a hub. We invite readers to follow the links on this page to our partners and other web sites where more extensive information and resources are available. Images Depicting Multi-Component Approaches to
Promoting Educational Success, Health & Development |
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The FRESH Framework
The acronym FRESH originally referred to Focusing Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH), which identified a set of four essential components or pillars selected from a list of valuable approaches and programs used by UN agencies and global organizations for their work within and with education systems. It promotes collaboration across several sectors to achieve all 17 of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Framework has evolved over the years in recognition of emerging trends and needs. Similar to the cooperation across multiple sectors needed to achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the framework adopted by FRESH Partners retains a broad view of the many facets of health while engaging other sectors working on different aspects of human development such as sanitation & hygiene, safety from violence & crime, equity, inclusion, relief & development aid, social and sustainable development.
The acronym FRESH originally referred to Focusing Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH), which identified a set of four essential components or pillars selected from a list of valuable approaches and programs used by UN agencies and global organizations for their work within and with education systems. It promotes collaboration across several sectors to achieve all 17 of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Framework has evolved over the years in recognition of emerging trends and needs. Similar to the cooperation across multiple sectors needed to achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the framework adopted by FRESH Partners retains a broad view of the many facets of health while engaging other sectors working on different aspects of human development such as sanitation & hygiene, safety from violence & crime, equity, inclusion, relief & development aid, social and sustainable development.
As the partnership continues its work, the focus on access to schooling, attendance and educational attainment has increased and become central to our discussions. We also emphasize that schools, other agencies and ministries need to address the needs of the whole child through a holistic core curriculum and broad range of learning opportunities. This salutogenic view of the child should also guide the delivery of health, social and other services, program funding, research grants and donor programs to enable practitioners/agencies to address specific issues holistically. Consequently, the FRESH partners often use the phrase "promoting educational success, health and development" and the multi-coloured FRESH icon as a way to reflect the shared goals of many multi-component approaches such as health promoting schools, child-friendly schools, wash in schools, school-health & nutrition, community schools, safe schools, education in emergencies and many others. There is considerable research, experience, program evaluations and data from surveys documenting the effectiveness of these approaches and their topic-focused multi-intervention programs.
The Framework lists key components or "pillars" that are common to all of these approaches, These common components are:
It is critically important that countries, agencies and schools focus their resources clearly on the basic, urgent or important needs of their students, building from the strengths of their communities and using the four FRESH pillars as an infrastructure to select and deliver effective and sustainable programs within the approaches and strategies deemed to be more relevant to their local situation.
The Framework positions the school as a hub within the community to serve students and families. However, outreach activities beyond the school to support parents, engage with community organizations are also important and a part of regional or national strategies. Research and experience has taught us that school-level initiatives or single-focus programs are insufficient and unsustainable without the full involvement of local/regional authorities, ministries and political leadership in several sectors. As well, long-term, capacity-building, systems-based, continuous improvement strategies and actions that are integrated within the core mandates, constraints and concerns of education systems are vitally important.
The FRESH Partnership
The FRESH Partnership is comprised of an extensive number of UN agencies, donor organizations and global non-governmental/ civil society organizations concerned with promoting basic education, health, safety, equity and various types of economic, social, sustainable and human development through, with and within schools, agencies and systems. The FRESH Partners see their approaches reflected in the core components/pillars of the FRESH framework, and its problem-based and cross-cutting themes. Our partnership actions and activities at the global level, indeed any such international initiatives, must inform, motivate, support and help to frame the work being done at the regional, national/state and local levels around the world.
The FRESH Partnership acts as an advisor through international exchanges of knowledge and information, by creating consensus among its partners and by undertaking other activities at the international level that do not duplicate the activities of its members. Further, the FRESH Partnership, as a group, does not undertake actions at the regional or national levels nor does its membership include regional, national, private or university-based centres. It is the individual FRESH partners or other organizations that take such regional/national actions or engage regional, national organizations and research/knowledge centres through their respective constituencies, memberships, communications channels and global activities. Nevertheless, the FRESH Framework and our collaboration at the global level often encourages similar partnerships within countries and regions.
The informal, minimal organizational structure of the FRESH Partnership includes a Coordinating Committee of over 40 representatives and several designated Working Groups/Individual Advisors which have been assigned specific tasks or roles. As well, the Partnership communicates regularly with an defined list of Corresponding or Affiliated Organizations and Networks. Our activities include exchanging information and knowledge, creating consensus or providing advice on global issues/initiatives and organizing selected global, intersectoral workshops.
The well-accepted goal of an “Education for All” means ensuring that all children have access to a basic education of good quality that serves the needs and aspirations of the whole child. This implies building or rebuilding schools and education systems, creating an environment in schools and in core education programs in which children are both able and enabled to learn. Such an environment must be friendly and welcoming, promote health, ensure safety, protect children from exploitation, engage students, involve parents and respect teachers. The development of such learning environments is an essential part of the overall efforts by countries around the world to increase access to, and improve the quality, of their schools. The FRESH Partners have agreed to work together towards this common goal for all children and their schooling by encouraging the use of the FRESH framework to promote the educational success, health and development of all school-age children.
The Framework lists key components or "pillars" that are common to all of these approaches, These common components are:
- over-arching government, ministry/agency/school policies adopting/requiring multi-component approaches and multi-intervention programs
- classroom instruction and other forms of co-curricular and non-formal education promoting healthy & life skills,
- a defined set school-based or school-linked health, social, food & other student services,
- defined minimum conditions for a safe, healthy physical environment and a positive psycho-social environment that includes student, parent & community involvement.
It is critically important that countries, agencies and schools focus their resources clearly on the basic, urgent or important needs of their students, building from the strengths of their communities and using the four FRESH pillars as an infrastructure to select and deliver effective and sustainable programs within the approaches and strategies deemed to be more relevant to their local situation.
The Framework positions the school as a hub within the community to serve students and families. However, outreach activities beyond the school to support parents, engage with community organizations are also important and a part of regional or national strategies. Research and experience has taught us that school-level initiatives or single-focus programs are insufficient and unsustainable without the full involvement of local/regional authorities, ministries and political leadership in several sectors. As well, long-term, capacity-building, systems-based, continuous improvement strategies and actions that are integrated within the core mandates, constraints and concerns of education systems are vitally important.
The FRESH Partnership
The FRESH Partnership is comprised of an extensive number of UN agencies, donor organizations and global non-governmental/ civil society organizations concerned with promoting basic education, health, safety, equity and various types of economic, social, sustainable and human development through, with and within schools, agencies and systems. The FRESH Partners see their approaches reflected in the core components/pillars of the FRESH framework, and its problem-based and cross-cutting themes. Our partnership actions and activities at the global level, indeed any such international initiatives, must inform, motivate, support and help to frame the work being done at the regional, national/state and local levels around the world.
The FRESH Partnership acts as an advisor through international exchanges of knowledge and information, by creating consensus among its partners and by undertaking other activities at the international level that do not duplicate the activities of its members. Further, the FRESH Partnership, as a group, does not undertake actions at the regional or national levels nor does its membership include regional, national, private or university-based centres. It is the individual FRESH partners or other organizations that take such regional/national actions or engage regional, national organizations and research/knowledge centres through their respective constituencies, memberships, communications channels and global activities. Nevertheless, the FRESH Framework and our collaboration at the global level often encourages similar partnerships within countries and regions.
The informal, minimal organizational structure of the FRESH Partnership includes a Coordinating Committee of over 40 representatives and several designated Working Groups/Individual Advisors which have been assigned specific tasks or roles. As well, the Partnership communicates regularly with an defined list of Corresponding or Affiliated Organizations and Networks. Our activities include exchanging information and knowledge, creating consensus or providing advice on global issues/initiatives and organizing selected global, intersectoral workshops.
The well-accepted goal of an “Education for All” means ensuring that all children have access to a basic education of good quality that serves the needs and aspirations of the whole child. This implies building or rebuilding schools and education systems, creating an environment in schools and in core education programs in which children are both able and enabled to learn. Such an environment must be friendly and welcoming, promote health, ensure safety, protect children from exploitation, engage students, involve parents and respect teachers. The development of such learning environments is an essential part of the overall efforts by countries around the world to increase access to, and improve the quality, of their schools. The FRESH Partners have agreed to work together towards this common goal for all children and their schooling by encouraging the use of the FRESH framework to promote the educational success, health and development of all school-age children.