Health Educator Pathway to Licensure Overview

he Health Educator program is designed to provide currently licensed educators the competencies needed to qualify for a Vermont health education endorsement. The content of the course work addresses the essential competencies required by the State of Vermont. Currently licensed and endorsed health educators are welcome to take courses for professional development or recertification credits.

For more information, please contact Susan Yesalonia, at [email protected] 

Endorsement Guidance

Qualified individuals may request transcript analysis by the Vermont Agency of Education Educator Licensing Department. To qualify for transcript review, students must have completed at least two-thirds of the required college-level coursework necessary to satisfy competency requirements for endorsement in health education. In addition, endorsement in health education requires a 60-hour practicum completed by the student under the supervision of a licensed health educator and passing the Praxis II exam for health education.

Sequence of Courses and Course Descriptions

The 18-credit sequence of graduate level courses includes 5 content areas. These courses are designed to meet most of the required competencies for health educator licensure in Vermont. Students may not need to take all VT HEC health courses; only an official transcript review will help students determine which competencies they need to meet in order to qualify for licensure in health education. In addition, students must complete a 60-hour practicum, which is completed by the student under the supervision of a licensed health educator. For more information about this and other related licensing questions, contact the Vermont Agency of Education’s educator licensing division at 802-828-3440 or [email protected].

View the Licensing chart for health courses. This chart aligns coursework with the current required competencies.

View the two-year course rotation for 2022-2024. This chart shows the semester/year in which courses are offered.

Nutrition and Food Education

3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: As the need to address student nutrition has come into focus, a comprehensive approach to changing nutrition behaviors must include facilitating development of nutrition related health literacy among youth. This course is designed for professionals to learn how to teach nutrition education while working collaboratively across school and local communities to establish healthful, sustainable food systems for schools.

Principles & Methods for Effective Health Education

3 Credits = 45 contact Hours
Course Description: This participatory course will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to deliver effective standards-based health education curriculum, instruction, and assessment. An examination of health education principles, theories, and practice will form the foundation of the course. Opportunities to review and analyze data to inform planning are integrated in the course, along with the use of strategies that support all learners and incorporate technology.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) Education

3 Credits = 45 contact Hours
Course Description: This course is offered through the Center for Health and Learning. This course will provide teachers with the physiological, psychological, and sociological effects of substance use and abuse on the individual, family, and society. It will provide opportunities to develop performance-based objectives aligned with national standards and plan appropriate instruction incorporating technology and strategies that support all learners.

Concepts in Personal and Community Health for Educators

3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: This course is a comprehensive study of personal health with emphasis on mental, social, and emotional health; stress management; self-esteem; communicable and degenerative diseases; health benefits of physical activity; consumer and community health; Whole School, Whole Community and Whole Child (WSCC); and how to advocate for health education.

Promoting Personal Health and Safety Through The Prevention of Injury and Violence

3 credit = 45 contact hours
Course Description: This course is offered through the Center for Health and Learning. This course is designed to address concepts, knowledge and skills related to promoting personal health and safety through injury and violence prevention.  This course will look at physical, mental, social, environmental, and spiritual health through the lens of American society.

Human Sexuality and STD Prevention

3 credits = 45 contact hours
Course Description: This course is designed to improve school-based sexuality education informed by research and theory in sexuality education and increase competence and confidence addressing contemporary sexuality topics and trends.

This participatory, project-based course will take place entirely online over a six week period. It will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to deliver effective standards-based sexuality education curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Vermont’s focus on proficiency based learning and teaching and the health education classroom will be addressed. Coursework will allow students the opportunity to explore a broad perspective on sexuality education, including what research indicates is effective, adolescent brain development, cross cultural sexual expression and behavior, attitudes and social norms, barriers to change, and communication skills all within the context of positive, healthy sexuality.

Students will use a variety of online resources to assist in their development of weekly class discussion posts, a sexuality resource notebook, and a Standards-Based Sexuality Unit Plan. At the end of the course, a final reflection/advocacy paper will be submitted.