T.A.L.K.S

TEACHING ACTIVITIES THAT LEAD TO KNOWLEDGE AND SAFETY

Our Mission

The mission of T.A.L.K.S. is to promote the health and well-being of children and adolescents to enable them to become healthy and productive adults. Tennessee T.A.L.K.S. is a Center for Disease Control (CDC) Division of Adolescent School Health (DASH) funded program housed at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). It is a partnership between DASH and Tennessee Department of Education (DOE) and Coordinated Schools Health (CSH) office.

To achieve its mission, T.A.L.K.S works to:

• Address critical health risk behaviors among youth
• Incorporate research finding, develop effective programs and teaching tools for schools to promote healthful behaviors among young people
• Provide assistance to schools to plan, implement and evaluate health programs
• Support the mission and objectives of DASH and CSH

The T.A.L.K.S. Cadre consists of trainers who are available to work with administrators and teachers in Tennessee schools. The Cadre uses a "train-the-trainer" model and provides a collaborative approach that encourages communication beyond the training sessions. School personnel are active participants in developing and refining activities that promote health behaviors.

You are invited to contact T.A.L.K.S. and discuss training resources and options.

Gloria Hamilton, Ph.D                                         Mark Bloodworth, Ed.S
(615) 849-9249                                                   (615) 532-9450
Gloria.Hamilton@mtsu.edu                                Mark.Bloodworth@tn.gov