Award Criteria
This award goes to an individual who successfully achieved:

• Collaboration on legislative and/or regulatory school health /school nursing initiative(s) with key stakeholders or;
• Demonstrates successful collaboration and commitment on School Health/School Nursing initiatives, programs or projects

The first annual Barbara French School Health Advocacy Award was presented to its' namesake Barbara French in 2016 .

 Barbara C. French School Health Advocacy Award

Barbara C French was a former school nurse who took her knowledge of school nursing to her legislative practice as a NH State Representative. She was a constant advocate for School Health.

Barbara earned a degree from UNH, then a B.S.N. from Cornell University, NY Hospital School of Nursing, and finally an M.Ed. from Mount Saint Mary College. Her professional experience included being a child welfare social worker at the NH Department of Welfare and school nurse at Rundlett Junior High in Concord from 1963 to 1990.

Born on July 1, 1926, French earned her first degree from “the University of New Hampshire; B.S.N. from Cornell University, New York Hospital School of Nursing and M.Ed. from Mount Saint Mary College. Her professional experience includes working as a school nurse in Concord; clinical nurse at Cornell University – New York Hospital; head nurse instructor at New Hampshire State Hospital; child welfare social worker at the State of New Hampshire Department of Welfare and drug education consultant at the New Hampshire Department of Education.”

Barbara served in the NH Legislature for twenty years, representing Merrimack District 6 (Henniker & Bradford) between 1992 and 2016. She was a member of the NH House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee and served on several legislative committees including the Primary Prevention & Wellness Council (co-chair), the Environment & Health Commission (co-chair), and the Economic Justice Task Force. Barbara was a sponsor or co-sponsor of numerous bills that were signed into law. These dealt with healthcare, the environment, or the well-being of children and families. She was most proud of the creation of the New Hampshire Healthy Kids Corporation and the Child and Family Resource Centers. Barbara received many awards recognizing her service. Her proudest were the School Nurse of the Year 1990 from the NH School Nurses' Association, Legislator of the Year 1998 from the NH Nurses Association, the NH Democratic Party's Eleanor Roosevelt Award in 2005, and the first annual Barbara French School Health Advocacy Award which was presented to her by the NH School Nurses' Association in 2016.