Responsibility I: Assess needs, assets and capacity for health education
The first responsibility of a health educator is to determine that there is in fact a real need that is to be addressed, and to validate the program planning process through a needs assessment; this can include secondary research, interviews, surveys, and data analysis. It is important to clearly identify strong, evidence based needs in order to set accurate, measurable objectives and generate the necessary funding for success and sustainability of a program.
I have planned the assessment process with many different team members on projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention for a college freshmen class, theoretical assessments for a mock grant exercise, and developed surveys to quantitatively measure data about STIs and global health knowledge among college aged students. I have collected secondary data internet database searches, completed several academic journal analyses on topics such as cyber-bullying and childhood obesity. After the planning process, I have collected primary data; using personal interaction via emails, interviews and face to face surveys with campus communities including students and faculty, and professionals from other countries such Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
During the process of researching, planning, implementing and evaluating a program for college aged STI prevention, I was involved in the research of secondary data, and creating, administering and analyzing surveys which produced useful primary data, such as statistics about students that have had unprotected sex, or contracted an STI, as well as the percentages of students who believed we needed more sexual health information and STI prevention on campus. Many elements of the program were based on a developed chart using The Theory of Planned Behavior. I was also involved in building relationships with known stakeholders on the campus, such as students themselves as well as our faculty mentor and community partners, which led to an even more successful program.
Below are some examples of my experience in assessing needs:
(A full binder of my STI prevention project is available upon request.)
I have planned the assessment process with many different team members on projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention for a college freshmen class, theoretical assessments for a mock grant exercise, and developed surveys to quantitatively measure data about STIs and global health knowledge among college aged students. I have collected secondary data internet database searches, completed several academic journal analyses on topics such as cyber-bullying and childhood obesity. After the planning process, I have collected primary data; using personal interaction via emails, interviews and face to face surveys with campus communities including students and faculty, and professionals from other countries such Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
During the process of researching, planning, implementing and evaluating a program for college aged STI prevention, I was involved in the research of secondary data, and creating, administering and analyzing surveys which produced useful primary data, such as statistics about students that have had unprotected sex, or contracted an STI, as well as the percentages of students who believed we needed more sexual health information and STI prevention on campus. Many elements of the program were based on a developed chart using The Theory of Planned Behavior. I was also involved in building relationships with known stakeholders on the campus, such as students themselves as well as our faculty mentor and community partners, which led to an even more successful program.
Below are some examples of my experience in assessing needs:
(A full binder of my STI prevention project is available upon request.)
hed_462_global_health_awareness_survey_among_siue_students.pdf | |
File Size: | 90 kb |
File Type: |
hed_490-sti_needs_assesment_survey.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |