Health Educator Pathway to Licensure Overview

his 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 Donna McAllister, 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 13 credit sequence of graduate level courses includes 8 content courses. These courses are designed to meet most of the required competencies for health educator licensures in Vermont. Not all students need to take all of these courses, but only an official educator licensing 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 802-473-1700.

View a Licensing chart for Health courses, 2016-2018. This chart aligns coursework with the required competencies.

View a 2 YR Rotation 2018-2020  This chart shows the semester/year in which courses are offered.

Nutrition and Food Education

2 credits = 30 contact hours
Course Description: This blended learning course is designed for K-12 school-based professionals to learn how to teach nutrition education while working collaboratively across school and local community to establish healthful, sustainable, food systems for schools. The course begins with a required face-to-face day and the remainder of the course will take place in an asynchronous, online learning environment. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have explored strategies for standards-based instruction and assessment of K-12 nutrition education; discussed common nutritional problems of children; evaluated the impact of public health forces on nutrition habits of children; explored the nutrient needs for childhood growth and development, including the Dietary Guidelines; and developed a plan to work collaboratively across school and local community to establish healthful, sustainable food systems for schools.

Principles & Methods for Effective Health Education

2 Credits = 30 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. Coursework will focus on the field of health education in terms of historical developments, theoretical foundations, National and VT health education standards, and research based methods needed to implement effective skills-based health education.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) Education

One credit extended course – 1 credit = 15 contact hours
This course fulfills State Board of Education Ruling 4200 (Act 51)
Course Description: This course is offered in conjunction with a one-credit fifteen-hour training that is mandated by the Vermont Board of Education to fulfill Board Rule 4213.2, which states: “…that teachers and health and guidance personnel have a sufficient level of professional development to enable them to competently teach or provide other services required in the school’s alcohol and drug abuse prevention education program.” This training is conducted according to a common syllabus at multiple sites each year across Vermont. Participants apply the course teachings in a practical personal, school, or community-based project.  Right now this course is being offered through the Center for Health and Learning.  Center for Health and Learning

Concepts in Personal and Community Health for Educators

2 credits = 30 contact hours
Course Description: This 11-week intensive on-line course is a comprehensive study of personal health with emphasis on mental and emotional health; stress management; self esteem; fitness & exercise; communicable and degenerative diseases; personal safety; health literacy and advocacy, and consumer health.

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

2 credit = 30 contact hours
Course Description: This course is designed to address concepts, knowledge and skills related to promoting personal health and safety through injury and violence prevention.
It is widely recognized that problems related to injury and violence are prevalent across all ages and in all cultures, impact physical, mental, social, environmental and spiritual health and wage significant costs to society. This course will be looking at these issues through the lens of American society and will consider personal change processes and environmental change strategies that are promising for promoting lifestyles that reduce the likelihood of injury and are free of violence. School, community and legislative policies that promote healthy and safe environments will be identified. Participants will apply the course teachings in on-line discussions, reflection papers and student units of study.

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model: A Coordinated Approach to Learning and Health

2 credits = 30 contact hours
Course Description: This two credit graduate course will introduce educators to the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. The will deliberate about how best to promote it and use it within their school community, ensuring that students are in the center and determining how to create partnerships with families, school staff and community members to improve student health and literacy and health behaviors. The will evaluate how to utilize the Healthy Communities study findings, interview a school administrator, process information about how best to introduce change, and explore a variety of policies, legislation and resources including the ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool. Educators will identify health issues impacting their school communities (where they live and/or work) and construct a plan to address student health issues, using this model as a framework.

Human Sexuality and STD Prevention Education

2 credits = 30 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.