The Halifax Regional School Board encourages and supports each school to take steps toward becoming a health promoting school. According to the World Health Organization a health promoting school is a school that is constantly strengthening its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working. Research strongly suggests that health and education are linked and initiatives that improve the health status of student will help to improve their educational achievements.

A health promoting school encourages all members of the school community to work together toward providing students with integrated and positive experiences and structures to promote and protect their health. This includes both the formal and informal curriculum in health, the creation of a safe and healthy school environment, the provision of appropriate health services, and the involvement of the family and community. Each school determines what the important health-related issues are for their school community and then takes action to address it.