Founded in 1999, the MetroWest Health Foundation’s mission is “improving the health status of the community, its individuals, and families through informed and innovative leadership.” Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, the foundation serves a 25-town region west of Boston and is one of the largest health-focused foundations in the state.

To meet the health needs of its region, the Foundation supports community programs, encourages and fosters leadership on health issues, awards grants, and provides resources, information, ideas, and advocacy for community change. In the past 20 years, MetroWest has provided more than $60 million to support access to health care, healthy aging, and adolescent mental health throughout the region.

EDC is a recipient of a MetroWest grant for its administration of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. Since 2006, EDC has conducted the survey to monitor trends in youth health and risk behaviors, providing data that informs local planning and evaluation of school and community programs, policies, and practices. The survey also provides districts with important quality improvement data on student perceptions of school safety and violence, school engagement, help-seeking, and use of counseling and other support services. MetroWest has funded several other EDC projects, including those dealing with youth substance misuse prevention.

EDC is pleased to be able to work with the MetroWest Health Foundation on the important issue of youth risk behaviors.

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