Is vaping an issue at your school? Are you ready to address it and get students connected to the help they need? If yes, enroll in the Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education program for the 2024-25 school year.  

Background on this initiative:   

In 2019, the Kansas State Board of Education asked for the creation of a task force to assist schools in dealing with e-cigarette/vaping use by students. The E-Cigarette/Vaping Task Force determined the need for a vaping-focused Project ECHO. During the 2021-2022 school year, some task force members collaborated with several other partners to offer a Vaping ECHO for Education for 20 pilot schools to assist schools with vaping prevention and cessation.   

In the 2022-23 school year, 13 schools participated in the program. In the 2023-24 school year, 21 schools participated. Based on feedback and the accomplishments of the pilot schools, an updated program for cohort IV will be offered for the 2024-25 school year and will include broader information to assist in programming related to vaping and other nicotine products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, nicotine pouches, hookah, etc.). You can read more about the initiative and past cohorts here.   

By participating in cohort IV, your school team will have the opportunity to do the following:  

• Participate in a groundbreaking approach to address vaping in schools.  
• Create a school-centered team approach to address vaping in schools.  
• Engage with a network of stakeholders committed to reducing vaping in schools.   
• Increase confidence in schools’ ability to address the cessation needs of students.  
• Develop participants’ skills to provide support and referrals for vaping cessation.  
• Utilize tele-mentoring to access expert advice concerning prevention and cessation.  
• Apply the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC) model, a student-centered framework, which calls for greater alignment between the public health and education sectors and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices.  

Please note: To not consume so much of the school day, much of the format of the cohort activities is changing to accommodate school schedules. 

Applications are open and due Aug. 26  

The first step in becoming part of cohort IV is completing the application, which will take approximately 10 minutes. You will be asked to provide information about your school, participants in the program, and what issues your school is facing. The application requires signatures from the primary contact completing the application, as well as the school principal and superintendent. Schools will be notified on a rolling basis if their applications are accepted. Apply no later than Monday, Aug. 26, by clicking on this link: https://bit.ly/VapingECHOSchoolApplication