Several preliminary decisions must be made before a local program of health education for children is developed: who will be responsible for the program, what teaching materials will be needed, what themes are most appropriate for children, and what method teaching should be used? Answers to such questions depend greatly on the local context, but they can serve as a point of departure for a working group at a seminar attended by teachers and health agents planning a health education program for school-age children. The program should be based on the experience of individuals who know the community well, such as health agents, community authorities, teachers, parents, and the children themselves. The teaching method chosen can be oriented toward action or toward the community, or it could be the child-for-child approach in which children serve as health and development agents, integrating health education into the overall education process and including action to improve health and diffusion of health messages to the family and community. The different approaches can be combined, depending on the theme, the age, and the educational level of the children. The program content and teaching materials depend on the local context, the age of the children, the time available, and the resources of the teachers. Before selecting themes for study, the planning group should make a list of health priorities, study related actions already undertaken that may involve children, decide on themes and on the knowledge and skills to be acquired, and verify that the themes chosen are appropriate and relevant. To select the specific content of each chosen subject, the group should clearly define the subject, decide what the children should know about it, select activities appropriate to the age and level of the children and the size and local context of the project, and explain the project to all who will participate. Evaluation should be continuous, beginning at the outset. The working group should attempt to evaluate participation in decision making and local support when the decision is made to begin the project. The criteria on which local needs are evaluated and the degree of knowledge of these needs should be evaluated, as should the availability of teachers, supervisors, external aid, time, and money. The coherence of the plan of action and objectives and the preparation of teaching materials and of participating schools also require evaluation.