In 2005, provincial and territorial ministers of Education and provincial and territorial ministers of Health and the federal Minister of Health established the Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH). The purpose of JCSH is to facilitate a comprehensive and coordinated approach to health promotion in the school setting, and to support cross-sector and cross-jurisdictional collaborations. JCSH has received successive mandates since that time. The latest, its fifth mandate was signed by all parties effective April 01 2025.

By virtue of this agreement (“the Agreement”) being entered into by provincial and territorial Ministers of Education and the provincial and territorial Ministers of Health and/or Wellness, hereinafter collectively called “the Parties”, the JCSH is continued (2025-2030).

The JCSH is uniquely positioned to initiate and facilitate collaboration across the health and education sectors. The JCSH provides coordination and support to its member governments, enabling the education and health sectors to work together more efficiently and effectively toward their core outcomes, while also providing them with tools and resources to build capacity at a system level for promoting healthier school communities in their jurisdictions. Among its provincial and territorial membership, the JCSH is considered a reliable network to which jurisdictions and sectors can turn in the face of ever-changing priorities, agendas, and emerging trends for knowledge, tools, resources, and information on best practices to support healthy school communities.

The JCSH focuses on:

Established in 2005, the Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH) is a formal partnership of federal, provincial, and territorial governments working together to promote the health, well-being, and achievement of children and youth in the school setting. Recognizing that every province and territory has initiatives in place to foster healthy school environments, JCSH brings together key representatives of government departments responsible for health and education for the following purposes:

In 2020, the Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Education and Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Health and/or Wellness committed to the current five-year JCSH mandate (2020-2025).