HealthLessons.org provides teachers with free access to high quality health education lesson plans. The site brings together the best K-12 health lesson plans on the internet, drawing from more than 25 websites. Several professional educators have screened and reviewed each of the lesson plans that are listed on the site. Each lesson has been rated by three educators: the HealthLessons.org editor (an educator on The New York Academy of Medicine staff) and two other teachers who are part of a national group of reviewers. The quality control of the review process means that teachers using HealthLessons.org don't have to spend hours trolling the web for good material. The goal of HealthLessons.org is to improve health education and dissemination of health information to America's elementary, middle, and high school students. The information is accessible online— it requires only an internet connection and standard web browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape or Safari.

HealthLessons.org focuses on five key areas of health education: physical activity; nutrition; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; injury prevention; and mental health.

HealthLessons.org facilitates searching for health education lesson plans online. Detailed search results, description of lesson plans, indication of required materials, and reviews by users present information so teachers can quickly tell if a lesson plan meets their needs. The site encourages the teacher to share feedback about the lessons on the site, as well as new successful lesson plans and online resources for more information about teaching health. The system is powered by a relational database. No registration is required to search the database, view results, or retrieve lessons. Minimal registration is required for teachers to review lessons, add links to online resources and participate in the community discussion of HealthLessons.org Editorial. System security protects the privacy of registration information and ensures the integrity of the site.

The HealthLessons.org project has been funded by a grant from the National Library of Medicine. The project is an initiative of The New York Academy of Medicine, developed by the Academy's Division of Information Management and the Office of School Health Programs.

1. Founded in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. Today, it is a leading center for urban health policy and action working to enhance the health of people living in cities worldwide through research, education, advocacy, and prevention. The Healthlessons.org project is designed to use advances in technology and the Internet to provide tools for teachers around the country to help them positively influence attitudes, behaviors, and heath outcomes of children and youth.

2. The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's largest medical library. The Library collects materials and provides information and research services in all areas of biomedicine and health care. The National Library of Medicine assists the advancement of medical and related sciences through the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information important to the progress of medicine and health. The National Library of Medicine supports outreach initiatives to improve access to health information and eliminate health disparities.