Around the Schools
Franklin High students speak at conference on peer health education program they helped create
Five members of Franklin High School’s Quaker Teens Improving Health Problems (Q-TIHP) presented at the Oct. 18 Washington State Public Health Association’s annual conference on the peer health education program they helped create.
Students Lily Tesfaye, Gabriella McMillon, Fatoumata Tunkara, Kyleroi Bongato and Winta Habtom traveled to Vancouver, WA to speak about the effectiveness and efficiency of peer health education programs in promoting health among teen populations.
The title of the presentation, “Teen to Teen – Building Community Through Peer Health Education,” was attended by public health officials interested in learning new ways to develop programs that maximize student learning in health.
The nascent program at Franklin began last year with a $3,000 Alexander Fund grant provided through the Franklin Alumni Association. Last year, the students learned and taught curricula on suicide prevention and the consequences of teen pregnancy.
This year, the program was strengthened with the added investment of Planned Parenthood, which operates Teen Council programs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Planned Parenthood’s Sarah Sutherland is working with students to strengthen teaching and leadership skills critical to promoting student learning with peer teaching.
In cooperation with Franklin school nurse Robin Fleming and SPS Health Education Director Lisa Love, students will learn both curricula which they will present to their peers, as well as effective ways to present this curricula and to serve as sources of information for Franklin students.
Q-TIHP students also participate in community learning through field trips, and sponsor presentations at Franklin by experts in health fields.
Pictured from left in photo above are: Lisa Love, Robin Fleming, Gabriella McMillon, Fatoumata Tunkara, Winta Habtom, Kyleroi Bongato, Sarah Sutherland (Planned Parenthood) and Lily Tesfaye.