Innovative in Health Promotion and Education
Abstract
Engaging students through various activities to enhance their educational experience can establish a desire to learn and provide a path for students to succeed. Utilizing practical skills and critical and creative thinking connects the student beyond the classroom, promoting real-life application opportunities. These experiential learning opportunities prepare students for situational and guided learning through student-developed interventions and evaluations. University internship students mentored high school students to foster a peer leader program to promote positive social norming and coping skills and to be agents of change within the school to combat opioid use and suicide. The university mentors aided the high school peer leaders in developing diverse positive messaging, creating strength-based awareness campaigns, planning and implementing inclusive events, and providing opportunities for mental health awareness through internal and community services. Both groups of students gathered and analyzed data to find programming and interventions that best fit the intended audience. The student groups developed operational plans and health education strategies to implement the evidence-based program Sources of Strength (SOS). SOS utilizes the social network theory to empower students to shift the culture at their school. By using an upstream approach, the students have been able to impact their community collaboratively and engagingly. The students use their influence to draw others in and develop active resiliency. This platform empowers young people to be agents of change and create lasting impact. The university Internship students guide the SOS high school peer leaders and assist them in practical implementation, evaluation strategies, and strength-based/public health messaging. The outcome of this observational learning was to explore how students gained real-world experience from developing health and prevention initiatives and utilize the practical knowledge of community engagement, health communication strategies, and professional growth. The project is funded by a SOR grant through the Georgia DBHDD.
Keywords
opioid prevention, youth resiliency, strength-based messaging, program Implementation, positive social norming, social networking theory, positive psychology
Conflict of Interest Form
I understand that if my abstract is selected and I agree to present that I must register for the conference and pay the registration fee to attend at least the day of the conference that I present. This includes all Learning Methods except invited Key Note Speakers.
Innovative in Health Promotion and Education
Engaging students through various activities to enhance their educational experience can establish a desire to learn and provide a path for students to succeed. Utilizing practical skills and critical and creative thinking connects the student beyond the classroom, promoting real-life application opportunities. These experiential learning opportunities prepare students for situational and guided learning through student-developed interventions and evaluations. University internship students mentored high school students to foster a peer leader program to promote positive social norming and coping skills and to be agents of change within the school to combat opioid use and suicide. The university mentors aided the high school peer leaders in developing diverse positive messaging, creating strength-based awareness campaigns, planning and implementing inclusive events, and providing opportunities for mental health awareness through internal and community services. Both groups of students gathered and analyzed data to find programming and interventions that best fit the intended audience. The student groups developed operational plans and health education strategies to implement the evidence-based program Sources of Strength (SOS). SOS utilizes the social network theory to empower students to shift the culture at their school. By using an upstream approach, the students have been able to impact their community collaboratively and engagingly. The students use their influence to draw others in and develop active resiliency. This platform empowers young people to be agents of change and create lasting impact. The university Internship students guide the SOS high school peer leaders and assist them in practical implementation, evaluation strategies, and strength-based/public health messaging. The outcome of this observational learning was to explore how students gained real-world experience from developing health and prevention initiatives and utilize the practical knowledge of community engagement, health communication strategies, and professional growth. The project is funded by a SOR grant through the Georgia DBHDD.
