Rachel Sadlon
School Health Implementation, Evaluation, and Systems Change in Washington, DC
Rachel Sadlon is a public health leader passionate about advancing health and educational equity through K-12 school health research, practice and policy.
Rachel has more than 10 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating public health and prevention programs. Rachel is the Director of Healthy Schools and Wellness Programs in the Division of Health and Wellness at DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education since February 2023. She is also the founder of Apto Strategies, serving as principal consultant.
Previously, she was the Associate Director, Research and Evaluation of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, located at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH). Rachel directed the Center’s research and evaluation portfolio, helping schools and communities develop and evaluate school-connected programs and policies that support student health and wellbeing. She served as the Principal Investigator and lead evaluator on the Center’s projects, applying prevention science, implementation science, and mixed-methods approaches. In her role, Rachel also provided training and technical assistance, implements capacity-building strategies, and promotes cross-sector collaboration to advance a comprehensive approach to child health.
Rachel has worked across sectors, including non-profit service organizations, local and state education agencies, and academia. Rachel is published in peer-reviewed journals and has authored 20+ technical and evaluation reports. She has presented at 30+ national and regional conferences. She is appointed to the Journal of School Health's Editorial Advisory Board and holds an elected position within the American Public Health Association’s School Health and Wellness section to advance a national school health agenda. Rachel has experience leading large, multi-partner projects, including a $2.1M Safe Schools/Healthy Students federal grant program. In 2022, she was awarded the Dr. Robert Synovitz Emerging Professional Award from the American School Health Association.
Rachel is a doctoral student in public health at GWSPH. She has a Graduate Certificate in Health Policy from GWSPH, and a Masters in Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science - both from the University of Connecticut. Rachel has been credentialed as a Certified Prevention Specialist in Connecticut and Virginia.