Please read the description below, and then click here to apply to be a Peer Health Educator.  

Health Peer Educator – Expectations 

Skidmore College Health Peer Educators are students committed to promoting healthy choices and lifestyles through educating and empowering themselves and their peers on a variety of health related topics.  By providing innovative, creative and educational programming, outreach and one-on-one interaction opportunities, the Health Peer Educators will serves as a resource, referral agent and role model for their peers.  Through training and group dynamic development, the Health Peer Educators will learn to take care of their own wellness, deal appropriately with stress, over commitment and potential burnout and increase their leadership skills so that they can create positive, interactive fun and non-judgmental programming aimed at providing their peers with information to make healthy, informed decisions regarding their health and wellbeing.

Under the Supervision of the Health Educator, the Health Peer Educators will:

  • Be in, and remain in, good social and academic standing with the College
  • Sign up for, attend and complete a for credit Health Peer Educator training course each semester that they are a HPE
  • Research, develop and execute interactive, positive, fun and non-judgmental programming for campus population
  • Uphold standards of confidentiality befitting their role
  • Learn the basics of prevention, college wellness, the strategies for change in high-risk behaviors, listening skills, responding and referral skills
  • Create awareness of health topics affecting Skidmore College students through such means as poster campaigns, restroom readers, newsletters, Skidnews editorials and Public Service Announcements, one-on-one interactions, tabling and general availability
  • Know their abilities and limits and help students find more long term and appropriate on and off campus resources to support healthy behaviors by making referrals of students at risk to professionals (Health Educator, Counseling Center, Health Services, Campus Safety, etc.)

A significant amount of time, effort and commitment is expected of Peer Health Educators.  This commitment is composed of:

Health Peer Educator for credit class:

  • Attendance at weekly training and programming course (2 credits through Honors Forum)
  • Completion of all reading and response assignments for PHE class
  • Enthusiastic, engaging and thoughtful participation in  class discussion

Health Promotion Programs

  • Adopt-a-Hall and provide programming, postering, outreach and one-on-one/small group availability to students within that Residence Hall
  • Campus Wide Programs

Other Outreach developed through class may include:

  • Restroom Readers
  • Newsletters
  • Poster Campaigns
  • Contribute to campus dialogue through editorials, articles and Public Service Announcements in SkidNews

Peer Health Educators will be trained in and provide education to the student body on a variety of, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • AIDS and HIV
  • Alcohol and Drug Use
  • Body Image and Eating Disorders
  • Contraception Choices
  • Gender Expression and Identity
  • Healthy Relationships and Domestic Violence
  • Fitness
  • Mental Health including stress/anxiety and depression
  • Nutrition
  • Peer Pressure and college students
  • Physical activity
  • Self Esteem
  • Sex Health
  • Sexual Irresponsibility
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Sexuality, Sexual Expression + Sexual Identification
  • Sleep
  • Violence including Sexual Assault
  • Tobacco Use