世界衛生組織對健康促進學校(Health promoting school)的定義是,「學校社區的全體成員共同合作,為學生提供整體性與積極性的經驗和組織,以促進並維護學生的健康(A health-promoting school is where all members of the school community work together to provide students with integrated and positive experiences and structures which promote and protect their health) 」(WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 1996)。
世界衛生組織(WHO),於1995年起,積極推動「健康促進學校計畫」(Health-promoting School Programs),是以場所的角度(setting approach)為基礎,將學校視為一個學生成長過程中要花許多時間待在這裡的地方。
因此其將健康促進學校的定義為「一所學校能持續的增強它的能力,成為一個有益於生活、學習與工作的健康場所」(A school that is constantly strengthening its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working)