Background: Today more than ever, providing inclusive and comprehensive health education to youth and young adults is critical to support the promotion of health and well-being, particularly in our under-served communities. This presentation will demonstrate the application of evidence-based health education practices and health education curriculum through the MSU Denver Peer Health Education (PHE) Program which serves under-resourced public schools in the Denver Metro area.
Methods & Results: The presentation will examine evaluation study design as well as data from current and past evaluation projects which indicate: 1) increased knowledge of student participants; 2) overall satisfaction of participating youth, college mentors, and partnering schools; 3) qualitative stories of all engaged in this program; and 4) opportunities for improvement in the delivery of the PHE program.
Implications: As public health is seeing unprecedented obstacles and challenges, promoting the importance of inclusive, and comprehensive health education is critical for today's youth and young adults. This presentation highlight the PHE curriculum approach, as well as identify effective near-peer facilitation methods and strategies implemented in under-resourced Denver metro high schools. Working within school districts requires adaptability, collaboration, and sometimes patience, to ensure that we develop methods and messages speaking to the realities of the students we work with.
