Evaluation of the WAVE (Wellbeing and Vitality in Education) programme, 2018

WAVE (Wellbeing and Vitality in Education) is an education setting-based health promotion programme in South Canterbury. Evaluation results demonstrated that WAVE continues to be valued by education settings for its central role in collaborative partnerships between health and education in South Canterbury, which continue to grow stronger with time.  Success factors for WAVE included that facilitators were viewed as credible, trusted and responsive sources of information and advice; that WAVE provided support to education settings for planning around health; and that WAVE provided access to resources which may otherwise be difficult to obtain.

WAVE was viewed as a catalyst for health and education working together in South Canterbury across all levels of education. Education settings’ overall level of satisfaction with WAVE was high and the programme was perceived as having an impact on both health and education outcomes for students. A concern was expressed by a number of settings that WAVE funding may not continue.  There was a strong belief that there is an ongoing need for WAVE in order to maintain the strong partnership between health and education in South Canterbury.