UWG News Item
Contact: UWG Public Relations Office
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
UWG student health educators awarded
March 28, 2006
CARROLLTON, GA - Three groups of student health educators at the University of West Georgia received the Charter Award for Program Excellence at the recent Bacchus Gamma, Area 9 Conference.
Student educators from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina shared programming information through presentations at the conference. UWG’s presentations included “Women, Self-Esteem and Alcohol” presented by the Women’s Interest Group (WIG); “Men Stopping Sexual Violence” presented by 1in 4; and “Responsible Sexuality and STDs” presented by the Peer Educators.
The fourteen student presenters were: Justin Young of Cedar Rapids, IA; Amy Johnson of Eureka, CA; Clint Cannon of Leesburg; Tabitha Martin of Austell; Shaun Myers of Jamrock, Jamaica; Ebonee Hicks of Hopkins, SC; Ricky McClure-Pritchett of Austell; Robert Collier of Snellville; Reci Jackson of Stone Mountain; Jeremiah Dortch of Lithonia; Angelica Campos of Buford; Corey Hindman of Cedartown; Dexter Jenkins of Newark, NJ; and Laura Ebersberger of Atlanta.
According to Debra Dugan, health educator at UWG, each group of peer educators is trained with specific topics in mind. The Peer Educators present information on a variety of health issues but most frequently teach classes on alcohol awareness, sexual responsibility and sexually transmitted diseases.
In addition to multiple campus presentations, the Peers also provide programs for the Douglas County Red Ribbon Week and local public schools.
“We know that students learn more readily from their peers,” Dugan said. “As students, they are also able to identify health issues not already being addressed.”
A specialized group of trained male students, known as 1in 4, addresses sexual assault in a manner that differs from the norm. According to Dugan, instead of teaching women to avoid sexual assault, these men encourage males not to commit assaults. The programming includes defining sexual assault, advising men on how to become advocates and providing advice for individuals who know someone who has been assaulted.
The newest campus group, W.I.G., was developed in response to the increased risks of harm to women in conjunction with women’s use of alcohol. Their presentation explores self-esteem issues; the physiology of alcohol digestion in women and how it differs from men; the reasons people drink; and the possible consequences, like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, drinking may have on themselves and others.
For more information on any of these groups, contact Dugan at 678-839-0642 or ddugan@westga.edu.
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