WED-043 - Preparing the Next Generation of Diverse Health Educators
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area VIII: Ethics and Professionalism Subcompetencies: 8.4 Promote the health education profession to stakeholders, the public, and others., 8.4.5 Explain the role and benefits of credentialing (e.g., individual and program). Research or Practice: Practice
Multicultural Outreach & Health Equity Senior Director Epilepsy Foundation Garner, North Carolina, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Discuss the importance of minority-serving institutions in increasing the health education workforce
Demonstrate strategies to incorporate areas of responsibility into existing public health and health education curricula at minority-serving institutions
Discuss current programs that could assist with increasing the diversity of the health education specialist workforce.
Brief Abstract Summary: Discover why it is important to engage with minority serving institutions to increase and diversify the health education workforce. Gain insight on how to work with minority serving institutions to increase the health education workforce.
Detailed abstract description: As the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. continues to increase, the health education workforce must reflect this diversity. One potential way to increase the diversity of the health education workforce is by increasing the capacity of minority-serving institutions to prepare students to work in the profession and become credentialed. Minority-serving institutions have a history of increasing the diversity of professionals in many professions (STEM, medicine, education). However, engagement with these institutions as a way to increase the diversity of the health education workforce has lagged behind efforts in STEM and medicine. This session will discuss why minority-serving institutions are important in the training of the next health education workforce and for increasing the diversity and pipeline of health education professionals for the future. Presenters will also provide information on current programs that could help with increasing the diversity of the health education profession. Presenters will also discuss ways organizations can work with minority-serving professions to increase their capacity to graduate students to be prepared for the health education profession.
