Last Updated: August 13, 2024
This summer, RHHD welcomed Carolina Lugo as our new School Health Coordinator! The long-time Richmond area resident and mom of two took some time out of her busy first few weeks to talk with us about the importance of health in school, the value of bilingual education and language access, and her top tips for a healthy start to the 2024-2025 school year.
Carolina, why does a health department need a school health coordinator?
That’s where the people are, that’s where the children are. The vast majority are in school, public school in particular, and the health department has to go where the people are. It makes sense to be in those spaces and to work with the schools. And that’s another important piece—it’s important to have a school health coordinator because it puts the emphasis on the fact that it is collaborating with the schools to provide the education, the clinical services, the support. It’s making it clear that we’re working with the schools. There is direct contact, but the goal is to do as much of that as possible with the schools.
You’ve worked in and out of schools over your career. What makes education so important to you?
I loved being in school as a child and I still consider myself both a student and teacher at heart. I have so much respect for what teachers do. I think schools can be joyful places and I think learning can be one of the most fun things. I’ve always tried to keep one foot or finger in education at all times. And most recently, I was coordinating Youth programs at Sacred Heart Center—I spent a lot of time talking with teachers about how to serve Latino youth in particular.
You are really invested in making sure that every student has access to a supportive and healthy school experience. Why is that goal important in our communities?
Kids spend most of their waking hours and formative years in school – it’s crucial for both the short- and long-term health and well-being of children for schools to be supportive and healthy environments! For our most vulnerable students, school might be the one safe port in the storm, and we want that for these children. And all students deserve for school to be a safe, affirming, joyful, and healthy place. The best teachers and administrators view school as a home away from home, and we see so many of our schools working in partnership with families and community-based organizations and agencies like RHHD to provide that supportive and healthy home away from home for children.
How do you think about yourself and your work as part of that partnership?
Community outreach is one of my core values. To support children in our communities, you have to know intimately what the community needs. And that has to come from being in deep relationship with community members, seeing the disconnects, barriers, and resources with your own eyes. When you’re able to develop relationships with people, they are more honest. You want to get to that place where the community feels 100% comfortable telling you where you’re missing the mark. I also connect it to my identity as a Latina and being bilingual—being able to talk about these things in the native language with the other person creates a stronger bond and it equalizes the power dynamic. It’s not someone coming in as a benefactor. We’re equals, and we’ll be partners in this work.
Lightning round questions, back-to-school style!
Favorite subject in school? Language Arts. I love reading and writing.
Favorite book from childhood? This is almost like trying to pick a favorite child! I remember reading The Outsiders and what a sociological book that was. In society, you do see that separation based on group characteristics and values—the book shows you how deadly and terrible that can be, but it also shows you some bright spots. In high school, I also had an English teacher who did such an amazing job teaching us Shakespeare—everything was hands on. We were doing the plays in class, we were dressing up as our favorite characters. She made Shakespeare come alive. It was not a pristine, very academic Shakespeare. Any modern retelling of a Shakespeare play, we would watch or go see.
Favorite school lunch? I had free and reduced lunch when I was a little kid—I might have packed my lunch sometimes in high school, but the majority of the time, I bought it. Any Gen Xer will know that the square pizza was the best.
Favorite recess activity? Four Square. Does that still exist? Lots of really wild Four Square games in my day!
Favorite memory of having kids in school: Watching them learn to read. The first time that my children read a book, it was just amazing knowing all of the work it took to get there, and knowing what a door that opens up to so many possibilities. Literacy is so crucial to success and happiness and so it’s important to make sure that everybody has access to that.
Carolina wants families to keep health front of mind as they prepare for the new school year! Below, you can check out her biggest recommendations for school readiness—including immunizations and physicals—and childhood wellness.
You can also find more resources for back-to-school health with VDH’s checklists and our School Health Hub.