Tulane SPHTM participates in National Health Education Week

Hot on the heels of Health Professions Week comes National Health Education Week and the Health Education and Communication Program (HEDC) in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences (GCHB) is taking the week by storm with a series of events that gives students access to webinars and a career panel featuring public health alumni.

National Health Education Week is sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) and is celebrated during the third full week of October. The celebration brings national attention to public health issues and promotes consumers' understanding of the role of health education and health promotion in society.  

Tulane SPHTM kicked off the week this past Friday with an on air discussion on WHIV-LP with Dr. David Seal, section head of the HEDC Program in GCHB. Seal talked about the field of health education and communication, and his research in sexual health promotion and violence prevention.  

This Thursday, students will have the opportunity to learn about careers in health education and communication with a panel discussion called This Could Be You! Several SPHTM alumni will be on hand to talk about the diversity of health education and communication career paths and provide academic and professional advice to students based on their experiences. Dinner will be provided.  

During the week-long celebration, there will also be opportunities to weigh in on health education issues on the Tulane SPHTM Facebook page, so make sure you are following us to participate.

Dr. Alyssa Lederer, assistant professor in GCHB, is coordinating the events. “I am thrilled that Tulane will be commemorating National Health Education Week for the first time this year,” she says. “Health education is a discipline that many people are not familiar with, and yet it is an essential part of public health. I hope that our events will help to raise awareness about the vital role that health educators play in enhancing the health and well-being of communities domestically and internationally, and the extraordinary professional preparation that our students receive in the Health Education and Communication Program.”  

Lederer, who joined Tulane SPHTM in August and is a Certified Health Education Specialist will also be available on Friday for open office hours to discuss graduate school, possible career paths, her research, and any other public health topic of interest. Find her in 2200-54 from 9am-12pm. Coffee and breakfast will be provided.  

To learn more about National Health Education Week, visit https://www.sophe.org/nhew.cfm. The week is sponsored by GCHB, Career Services, the Undergraduate Student Government Association, and the Public Health Society.