What do Peer Educators Do?

 REACH Peer Educators (PEs) are students who are involved as piad staff or volunteers.  All PEs are trained to educate other students about the facts on health and wellness through interactive programs on various health issues and challenges USF students face.  PEs encouraging positive lifestyle choices and responsible & informed decision-making in the following ways:

Conducting Educational Programs
Peer Educators are trained student, staff, and volunteers who educate their peers about the facts on health and wellness issues through interactive programs and activities.  Topics include sexual responsibility, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), alcohol and other drugs, sexual assault, communication skills, and general health topics.  Programs are presented in a variety of settings including Residence Halls, classrooms, Greek organizations, other registered student organizations, and off-campus sites.

Coordinating Awareness Campaigns 
Throughout the year, Health Promotion develops and organizes various events, activities and materials in recognition of national awareness campaigns, including National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, National Condom Month, Sexual Responsibility Week, National Nutrition Month, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and World AIDS Day. PEs develop and implement health promotion activities related to these observances. 

Organizing Health Promotion Activities
PEs help develop and distribute free educational and informational materials on various health topics.  Throughout the year, staff and volunteers provide information, answer questions, offer condoms, promote Student Health Services and Health Promotion services and interact with the university community.   Whether it’s done while talking at an information table or while driving the “Health Hoopty,” Health Promotion strives to encourage positive lifestyle choices through responsible decision-making.

Acting as a Resource and Referral Source
PEs assist other students in finding the health information they need.  Though PEs are trained to listen to other's concerns, they do not have all the answers.  It is up to the PE to be aware of the resources on and off campus such as a victims’ advocate, a professional counselor, or an off-campus HIV testing site.  PEs may also research information on a topic a student may be interested in and refer to the health educator and dietitian when necessary.

Promoting Choice Advocacy
It is Health Promotion’s philosophy that there is no such thing as a “role model,” especially in terms of personal health choices; therefore we consider PEs to be choice advocates for health.  PEs are students who share information and encourage others to make informed choices, not students who act as role models for others to follow.  In other words, PEs do not promote definitive right and wrong decisions but rather promote the idea that decisions may be right or wrong for an individual.  With this in mind, PEs work together as a team, along with Health Promotion and Student Health Services staff, to share their knowledge inside and outside of Student Health Services.  

It is through these activities REACH PEs have the opportunity to develop the ability to communicate effectively to groups of people, develop personally and professionally, develop the ability to present facts in an unbiased manner, and gain a genuine concern for people and an appreciation for diversity.