Sexual Health Peer Education

Become a sexpert!

The Sexual Health Peer Education Experience

The Office of Health Promotion and Education at Sindecuse Health Center offers male and female students of all sexual orientations and backgrounds a unique and valuable opportunity to receive training to become a Sexual Health Peer Educator (SHPE). The Sexual Health Peer Education Program works to educate individuals about sexual health through Sexual Health Peer Education Presentations, One-on-One Appointments, and a variety of campus events. SHPE’s provide their peers with the information and skills needed to help them make healthy choices about sex and relationships. Training and serving as a Peer Educator is a rewarding experience—personally, professionally, and academically.

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Benefits of being a peer educator

• Develop the ability to effectively present both complex and sensitive information to small and large audiences
• Develop the ability to facilitate group discussions on difficult topics
• Grow in self-confidence and poise
• Build your resume for graduate school and employment
• Receive formal documents for your portfolio
• Earn letters of recommendation
• Earn academic credit
• Fulfill an internship or field experience requirement in your major
• Become knowledgeable about important health issues
• Make “connections” on campus: meet faculty and staff
• Make new friends: be part of a team that works closely together
• Make a difference: do meaningful work
• Become the go-to “sexpert” in your crowd!

What do peer educators do?

This program consists of a 2 semester commitment and is designed to prepare students to become peer educators of sexual health. Sexual Health Peer Educators will present educational programs to students on WMU’s campus as well as local high schools and community colleges. The Sexual Health Presentations cover a number of issues and topics including: the elements of healthy intimate relationships, including healthy communication; common risky behaviors of college students; prevalent sexually transmitted infections and methods of protection; and available methods of contraception. Peer Educators will attend weekly Professional Development classes that will increase their knowledge and proficiency of sexual health related information. Peer Educators will learn the basics of the program by attending weekly practice sessions in addition to the weekly classes. Practice sessions will help peer educators work to master the techniques involved in successful presentation skills.

Western Michigan University ranks 11th in the nation for best sexual-health education programs.

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Basic requirements

• Willing and able to make a 2-semester commitment (Fall/Spring or Spring/Fall).
• Able to give 6-10 hours per week to program-related work.
• Must be available for weekly professional development class.
• Must be available for weekly practice session. Two to three times will be available to choose from.
• Must be available to attend weekend certification training, dates will be discussed in interview.

In selecting students to be Peer Educators, we attempt to achieve a diverse group that represents all students at Western. We encourage both men and women to apply, students of all sexual orientations races, ethnicities and nationalities.

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Earning certification

One reward for successfully completing your 2-semester commitment is earning national certification as a Sexual Health Peer Educator. Certification gives you:

• A formal certificate stating that you have successfully completed training and service as a SHPE during a specified period of time.
• An official letter that states in detail the nature of your training, service, and skills. You can include this letter in your portfolio and use it when applying for grad school and/or employment.
• A guarantee that the Coordinator of the SHPE Program and/or the Director of HPAE will promptly and thoughtfully respond to all requests by you for letters of recommendation or telephone reference interviews.

In order to earn certification and its components, you must (1) complete two full semesters as a SHPE and (2) fulfill all of the requirements established for SHPEs, to a level equivalent to a “B” grade.

You will be given a separate grade for each semester of your work as a SHPE. This grade will be stated in all written documents listed above and referred to in oral references given for you. The grade will be determined based on points given for your performance of each of the following (requirements may be subject to change):

• Attendance and participation in the weekly Professional Development class.
• Attendance and participation at weekly practice sessions.
• Knowledge of the content of the scripted presentations.
• Skill and effectiveness in presenting programs.
• Attendance at scheduled office hours (2nd semester only).
• Sexual health related assignments.

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Receiving academic credit

1. Students with certain academic majors and minors may choose to use their work as a SHPE to fulfill a requirement of their major or minor. This arrangement has been approved by certain departments, as indicated below.
2. Other students may need elective credits for their major or minor or need additional credits to graduate, which they can earn from approved elective courses. In some cases, SHPE can be used to fulfill an approved elective (see below).
3. If #1 and #2 above do not apply to you but you need and want general elective credits, you can get credit for SHPE by enrolling in FCS 590 (1-3 cr.); see below.

If you do this internship for credit, you will need to obtain the appropriate form and approval from the appropriate department (not from the SHPE program). In most cases, the SHPE program coordinator will need to sign it. The completed form is returned to the departmental office, and they register you for the relevant course. The SHPE program coordinator must have a copy of this form as a reminder to submit a grade for you to the department faculty member in charge of the relevant course.

Following is a list of departments that grant credit for SHPE.

Approval to receive credit is done so at each department’s discretion. Please contact your department for approval to take the SHPE program for credit prior to applying to the Sexual Health Peer Education Program.

Family and Consumer Sciences Department
Family Studies major with Family Studies emphasis:
May use to fulfill FCS 2020 Field Experience requirement, 2 credit hours.
May use to fulfill requirement for related electives, choose FCS 4290 Internship, may register for 2 - 6 credit hours total.

Family Studies major with Child Development emphasis:
May use to fulfill FCS 2020 Field Experience requirement, 2 credit hours.
May use to fulfill required FCS 4290 Internship, total 6 credit hours required.

Any student with any major may enroll in FCS 5900 Special Projects for 1-3 credits and receive credit for SHPE.

Download the approval form and return it to the FCS administrative office,
3326 Kohrman Hall

Psychology Department
Psychology majors: May use to fulfill required 3 credit Practicum; enroll in PSY 397, Specially Arranged Practicum, for 3 credits. May also use to partially fulfill required 9 hrs. of electives; enroll in PSY 398, Independent Study, for 3 credits.
Psychology minors: Department requires 6 hrs. of electives; 3 hours of PSY 397 Practicum can substitute for 3 hrs. of approved electives.
Obtain form from Psych Dept. Undergrad Advising Office or from Psych Dept. website.

Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department
School Health majors and Community Health majors:
Department requires minimum 4 credit hours of electives from approved list. SHPE may be used for HPER 300 Seminar Series: Health Competencies, 2 credits per semester, 4 total.

Lee Honors College
Lee Honors College students may be eligible for credit by enrolling in HNRS 3990 Field Experience. Please see an Honors College advisor for further information.

College of Education
Education majors or minors may receive credit by enrolling in ED 398 Special Studies in Education. Check with your academic adviser to learn whether your Education major or minor requires elective credits that ED 398 may be used to fulfill.

Sociology
Sociology majors are not required but may choose to do an internship; enroll in SOC 4960 (2-3 cr.).
Obtain form from Dr. Ronald Kramer, Sociology.

Communication
Communication majors and minors can get credit for SHPE through COM 398 Independent Study (no more than 3 cr.).
Obtain form from Communication academic advisor.

All departments reserve the right to change/alter course requirements and/or approval for participation in the sexual health peer education program.

Please be sure to contact your department for approval to receive credit prior to applying.

Download the Sexual Peer Education Application!