HealthWorks Peer Education Training

Catalog description

Designed to train new HealthWorks peer educators, this course addresses behavior theories, promotion strategies, and college health issues. BB H 324 HealthWorks Peer Education Training (3)HealthWorks is a peer education/outreach group that aims to promote health among Penn State students. The mission of HealthWorks is to:-increase awareness and knowledge of health issues, such as sexual health, nutrition and fitness, wellness, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and body image and eating disorders,-promote healthy lifestyle choices,-provide health education programs, information, and materials to students, and-advocate for a healthy Penn State community. BB H 324 is designed to train students who have been accepted into University Health Services' HealthWorks program every fall semester. The course will address the topics of health behavior theories, health promotion strategies, and health issues relevant to college populations (i.e., alcohol, nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, sleep, stress, and tobacco). To ensure that new HealthWorks members are trained to effectively promote health, students will gain both knowledge and practical experience in this course. Students will learn about health behavior theories, health promotion strategies, and health topics relevant to college students through formal classroom lectures and examinations. Classroom technology will be utilized to examine campus and national health campaigns and messages, illustrating the theories and strategies discussed in class. To garner practical experience and application-based learning, students will assist with current HealthWorks programming. Members of this class will additionally apply and integrate their new understanding of class topics through a semester project. The small-group project will ask students to propose a future HealthWorks program focused on one or more health topics that is built upon at least one health behavior theory and utilizes evidence-based strategies. By the conclusion of this course, HealthWorks members will possess the knowledge and skills to effectively provide health-related outreach, advocacy, community development, and education opportunities to students on the Penn State campus.