PreConference Session: At the Crossroads of Advocacy & Title IX Regulations: Rethinking the Trainings & Support Provided to LGBTQ Survivors in Higher Education

Jamie Piperato

Multiple studies have shown that over 50% of transgender people have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. This rate is double (1 in 3 women) or triple (1 in 6 men) the commonly reported rates of sexual violence stated within Title IX education trainings on college campuses. In 2010, a report by the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) stated that both “lesbian women and gay men reported levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence equal to or higher than those of heterosexuals.” Participants who attend this workshop should expect a learning community of caring individuals working together to interrogate the narrative occurring on college campuses concerning Title IX. Together, we will discuss best practices, advocacy models, and resources that can be used to eliminate the heterosexist and cissexist narratives that are currently the backbone of our Title IX educational trainings.

Peer Education Experiences Will Advance Your Career in Public Health

Olivia Jolly, Colorado School or Public Health

As former BACCHUS staff members and current faculty at the Colorado School of Public Health, Dr. Jan Gascoigne and Olivia Jolly have a wealth of knowledge about the peer educator role and how it translates into a career in public health. Come to this interactive session to reflect on your peer education experience/skills and discuss possible public health careers. You will participate in activities that develop your personal brand, introduce career options, discuss the graduate school application process and tips to success. Finally, you will learn about specific examples of peer educators that have gone on to become successful public health practitioners. It’s time to start your career search and allow your peer education experience to enhance your future!

POW Party Grants | A Harm Reduction Strategy for Parties with Alcohol

My-Linh DeBonis, Babson College

Eating food and drinking water are proven strategies to reduce risk of harms related to alcohol consumption. The POW Party Grant program encourages students to party safely by providing funding for food and water at their parties. Learn about the POW Party Grant program including its origin, its successes and its challenges, and discuss ways to bring the idea back to your campus.

Tell Me I'm Pretty

Alicia Cannon, Villanova University

Reality is: we are never going to stop snacking. We all have those days where food is our best friend but sometimes we feel guilty about it. We go on Instagram, see fitness models and know that our bodies do not look like theirs. We feel the need to change or fit in. Over-exercising is not the answer. In this program, we’ll demonstrate some safer ways to go about this through intuitive eating and a balanced diet. “Tell Me I’m Pretty” is about dismantling the stereotypes around fitness and sports nutrition. By the end of the program, we’ll teach you how to start the process of loving yourself and loving the skin you’re in.

What Comes Before Consent? Education Utilizing the Circles of Sexuality Model

Lisa Currie, Widener University

Seeking to truly support students in building the knowledge and skills they need BEFORE they give consent to sexual activity? This program highlights the many topics and activities within the Advocates for Youth Circles of Sexuality framework on which peer educators could focus to create more comprehensive and inclusive sexuality programs. Many students enter college under-prepared for engaging in healthy sexual relationships, especially given the current state of sexuality education in K-12 schools. Consent-focused education is helpful, yet today’s students may not have a high degree of self-awareness of their sexual needs and desires, simply because of which school they attended. This may impinge on their ability to know what they like and communicate what they want with a potential partner, let alone give and receive consent. Come hear what the current sexuality research says and help brainstorm new programming and training ideas.

What Makes You Thrive? Collaborating with the University as Change Agents for Mental Health

Kimberly Tomas, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Peer educators often work with their University to drive effective change. Learn in this session how UNLV’s Healthy Rebels have developed a strong partnership with their institution to promote mental health via the UNLV Thrives campaign. UNLV Thrives is a student-driven digital program empowering students to make the most of their college experience by cultivating social connections and belonging on campus. Presenters will address the campaign’s role in a campus-wide mental health and suicide prevention strategy, how the Healthy Rebels have successfully mobilized University leadership as well as other student organizations on campus through this program, and the basics of how peer educators can lead University campaigns.

Bringing New Programs to Your Campus --My Experience with Yoga and Meditation

Roma Seal, Carroll College

Help students find success by lowering their stress!The primary focus of this presentation will be to share the successes of the implementation of a wellness program onto a college campus and to teach others how to recreate this for their own programs. As we know, stress is intertwined in everything we do, and managing the many responsibilities of a college student is no easy task. By utilizing scientific research studies to support her lecture, the presenter will explore the neurophysiological effects of stress on the typical college student. In addition, she will examine a solution to this problem by explaining the benefits of yoga and meditation, and why she felt the need to introduce it to her campus.

Decorating Two of Your Hats: A Facilitation and Public Speaking Skills Audit

Mandy Parente, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Peer educators are expected to wear many hats – public speaker, facilitator, educator, friend, and more. While many of these roles are intuitive to us, two that we use arguably most often in our roles on campus may not be. Public speaking and facilitation skills require practice to develop, and self-reflection to hone. Are you interested in improving your facilitation and public speaking skills? Join this interactive and discussion based session to complete an audit of your skills, learn to improve your skills, and help other peer educators grow along with you.

Technology: What is it good for? An exploration of the benefits, drawback, and unknowns of sexual violence app

Sarice Greenstein, Culture of Respect, NASPA

A multitude of mobile applications and other technologies have surfaced on the market as potential tools for preventing and responding to campus sexual violence. Though it is tempting to be hopeful that new technologies have the potential to solve an age-old problem, it is imperative to think critically about the role these technologies play on campus. Student activists and preventionists should keep in mind not just that these technologies may be ineffective tools, but they have the potential to cause harm. This session will introduce some key products available on the market and ask students to think critically about how and why they may impact campus safety, with specific attention to how they may play off of or promote harmful rape myths

The Bare Necessities of Sleep

Davis Wood, University of West Florida

Most college students are not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Students are often sleep-deprived due to an overload of activities. Research shows that sleep can affect a student’s mood, GPA, safety, and overall health. Want to learn how to get your best sleep? The Peer Educators of The University of West Florida are here to teach you the Bear Necessities of Sleep and help you design your ideal bear cave. Your cave should help you sleep and should not be a Jungle! If Baloo can do it, you can too.

To Infinity and Beyond: Creating Your Own Story of Success and Sustainability

Leslie Haxby McNeill, Miami University

The sustainability of a peer education program is often determined by the way new members are recruited, selected, and trained. HAWKS Peer Health Educators has grown from a group of 4 in 2002 to 30 members in 2017 with a 4:1 ratio of candidates to positions available. Through a process of intentional recruiting, rigorous selection, and an academic course as the cornerstone for ongoing staff development, we will share how one peer education group has created a culture of excellence and elevated the peer educator position to a premier undergraduate experience. Examples of candidate evaluation tools, questions/ guidelines for group and individual interviews, academic course outline, and using the National Peer Educator Study (NPES) for staff development are included. Advisers, peer education leaders, and those responsible for training and selecting new peer educators will leave with a variety of accessible resources, concrete suggestions, and excitement for building on their successes!

Cannabis Round Table

Kendra Reichle, Fort Lewis College

As more states continue to legalize medical and recreational cannabis use, taking a critical look at our educational efforts regarding cannabis use is timely and necessary. Join us for this open discussion to learn about what’s working, what’s challenging, and everything in between!

Opening Session: Choosing to Succeed

Hoan Do

Success is not about what you know, it is about what you choose to do with what you know. In this interactive and inspiring keynote, Hoan will show you that your ability to succeed is not determined by your age, background, or knowledge but rather by the decisions that you make each and every day. By the end of the keynote you will:
Discover how to change your attitude during difficult times
Learn how to develop lethal confidence
Have fun meeting new people while making meaningful connections
Take away practical tools and strategies that you can apply immediately to help you in your lives

Exhibitor Breakfast

Thanks to generous sponsorship from our exhibitors, we are delighted to offer a continental breakfast to all attendees. Please join us for breakfast and visit with our exhibitors before our keynote speaker session.

Opening Keynote: Help for the Helper

Jessica Houston

Created by Licensed Social Worker, Inspirational Speaker and mentor to At-Risk Youth, Dr. Jessica Houston- Help for the Helper is a relevant training specifically designed to foster balance and give inner fortitude to Educators, Counselors, Social Workers and other Servant Leaders whose primary role is to create a "Culture of Caring." Through engaging innovative examples, Dr. Houston provides tangible strategies, which are designed to re-energize one's mission for helping without suffering from "compassion fatigue." As one who has been on the front lines of "Helping," for nearly two decades, Dr. Houston is keenly aware of what it takes to increase inner peace and passion for the sole purpose of enhancing the lives of others.

Demystifying the alphabet soup: LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity In Peer Education

Madison Olmsted, University of Chicago

This interactive presentation will empower participants to use LGBTQ inclusive language in their own curriculums so that their content can effectively reach a more diverse population of students while reducing stigma on campus. The program will start with a discussion on why inclusivity is important to educators, and then we will dive into how to appropriately use inclusive language and review vocabulary and knowledge that is important to creating an inclusive program. Participants will leave with resources to evaluate the assumptions and biases in their own curriculum and understand how to make positive changes at their home institutions.

Increasing Student Health, Well-Being, & Retention: A Scaleable & Personalized Approach

Bradyn Nicholson, Colorado State University

Health and wellness efforts are more important than ever amongst today's highly-stressed student populations. Scalable and personalized digital well-being interventions, which meet students on their terms as digital natives, is an innovative approach that has shown significant efficacy. The internet is the first place today’s students turn for support as it provides a level of confidentiality and anonymity not normally associated with this type of help-seeking behaviors. This presentation provides a case study of [email protected], a digital platform created to improve health related behaviors, connect students to on-campus and online resources, promote well-being, and support retention efforts while also informing campus health policies and student success initiatives through data analytics.

Peer Educators, Suicide Prevention and Data: Oh My!

Elisabeth Cavallaro, Appalachian State University

Repost:Rethink Trivia is one of the presentations that can be conducted by the Wellness and Prevention peer educators at Appalachian State University. In Repost:Rethink Trivia, participants learn how to talk about suicide on social media in a way that doesn’t contribute to suicide contagion. The presenter will discuss why this presentation was developed and how the presentation evolved over the course of three semesters from a lecture-based activity that was presented by staff only to a trivia game that is now typically presented by wellness peer educators. Adaptation involved collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Those in attendance will learn how to use multiple forms of evaluation when developing activities and have the opportunity to apply what they learned to their own campus efforts.

Shatter the Myths® about Alcohol and Drug Misuse

Brian Marquis, National Institute on Drug Abuse

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) is a week-long health observance that links students with scientists and other experts to shatter the myths about drugs and alcohol. Social pressures and the opioid crisis continue to put students at risk of drug and alcohol abuse. As a joint initiative by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NDAFW is in its 8th year and will occur again January 22–28, 2018. Come learn about how you can participate in NDAFW and utilize the free resources available from NIDA. Join Brian Marquis, Public Liaison at NIDA, in a discussion about how to bring National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and the science behind the consequences of drug and alcohol use on the brain, body and behavior to your school.

Showcase Session: Share the Health: Using Health Communication to Advance Peer Education Programming/ RESPECT- Forging the Connection between Greek Life and Peer Education

Brittney Vigna, The University of Alabama and Kyle Kenobbie, University of West Georgia

This program provides health communication strategies for advisors and peer educators to advance health education on their respective campuses. Using social media, graphic design, and evidence-based outreach theories, this program aims to give attendees innovative skills to advance and supplement programming by creating eye-catching, credible health education messaging.

One of the most challenging things about being a peer educator, as well as a member of Greek life, is dispelling the myths that being in a Fraternity/Sorority include. This session will contain an exploration of how a Fraternity man or Sorority woman can be a valuable ally to any Peer Educator team. The session will also explore the challenges and rewards of bring valuable Peer Educator knowledge back to your home chapter, and strategies to implement that knowledge into the core values of your organization.

Spartan Sustained Dialogue: How to talk about Social Identities and Bring Change to Campus

Adeline Carothers, The University of Tampa

This presentation will describe the Wellness and Diversity Initiatives at the University of Tampa and how they initiate dialogue about different identities on campus. Specifically, we will be focusing on the Diversity initiative, Spartan Sustained Dialogue, and how it is implemented using dialogue in order to bring change back to campus, the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and the data provided on the impact this organization has on campus. Since the process of dialogue and the concept of the Big 8 Identities is the defining ideology of the organization, this presentation will also give the viewers resources and information on what dialogue and the Big 8 Identities are. Students and advisors can then bring this information back to their universities to diffuse conflict and educate the campus on diversity and inclusion.

Survivor-Centered & Survivor-Inclusive Peer Education

Ashleigh Hala, Babson College

This session will help peer educators make their group survivor-centered and survivor-inclusive. Using clinical techniques and strategies, we will explore interventions on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels that can make your peer education group welcoming for survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and students with trauma history.

Two Truths and a Lie

Joleen M Nevers, University of Connecticut

What types of lubrication are used on most condoms? What are the common sexually transmitted infections in this age group? Does condom size matter? What are the updates to birth control? Which condoms can offer pleasure during sex? During this interactive program, advisors and students will be able to play along to try and distinguish between the two truths and the lie while learning, or updating sexual health information for their campus!

Navigating the Move: How to Build Rapport as a New Advisor

Jordan McCann, James Madison University

Are you a new advisor to an existing peer group? Are you an advisor trying to establish a solid structure and foundation for a peer educator group? Whether you’re at a large or small institution or have a large or small peer group, students can often have a hard time adjusting to change when presented it by someone else. In this session, we will be discussing how to create compromise with changes to club structures, building rapport between new staff and club members, and fostering a stronger team bond. After attending this program, participants will be able to:
1) Understand the potential obstacles that occur when working with an established peer group
2) Brainstorm and list ways to navigate resistance and achieve compromise
3) List at least 3 ways to build rapport amongst new members, existing members, and new staff.

Storytelling in Leadership Development: The Day My Name Changed

Ray Burgman, University of Denver

Are we our stories or our stories us? The way we present our stories, our narrative—can serve as a connector and bridge to others and change of self and organizations. The narrative(s) we create can also help us better understand our own talents, gifts, and treasures. In what ways is your leadership core to having a thriving organization which achieves its mission, upholds its values, and implements successful programs? During this session, we will discuss how to create narratives which allow us to unbundle, weave, and envision stories which explain the most authentic and holistic version of who we are and seek to be as accountability partners and organizational stewards. This session is intended for peer educators and advisors and can be used in a variety of topical areas.

Facebook Groups: Expand your programs in our digital age

Monica Socarras, University of Central Florida

Although the world is growing smaller with technological advances and social media, students still struggle to make deep, meaningful connections with their peers. Wellness and Health Promotion Services (WHPS) at UCF has innovated a way to both communicate more effectively with students, and provide a sense of community through a digital medium. Curated Facebook groups provide a safe space for students to learn about themselves, each other, and our services.In our presentation, we will discuss the design process of our groups the Maker’s Lounge and FreshU Cooks, the successes and challenges of both and how your university can replicate these programs.

How an STI Coalition brought free STI testing to University of Richmond

Slade Gormus, University of Richmond

Many students on our campus reported that the cost of STI testing was a barrier to testing. Through involvement with a grant-funded STI Coalition developed by the local Health Department, we were able to begin free testing at evening "clinics" twice a month. So far, we have at least doubled the number of students tested. The collaboration has led to other community partnerships.

Mindset, Wellbeing, and Goal Setting: A Framework for the Generalist Peer Educator

Will O'Berry, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities

When peer education programs are more specialized (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention), peer educators likely have a better understanding of the goals and intended outcomes for their conversations with students. However, when peer educators act more as generalists (e.g., community advisors in residence halls), the framework for conversations can be vague. Using mindset theory, a handy wellbeing model, and goal setting theory as elements, this session will provide participants with an evidence-based, semi-structured, and utilitarian framework to use in a variety of peer education contexts.

PAWS & Relax: Animal Assisted Activities

Brittany Wilson, Adams State Univeristy

PHITE Club (Promoting Healthy Individuals Through Empowerment) has recently gone through a period of re-branding at Adams State University. As a club, we decided to become more inclusive towards all areas of an individual's well being, focusing largely on mental health awareness and advocacy. In an effort to encourage active mental health regulation, PHITE Club partnered with the Adams State Counseling Center and the ASU Nielsen Library to bring Animal Assisted Activities to campus. We started off by providing our “PAWS and RELAX” sessions during final exam weeks as mental health study breaks. This quickly grew into an active monthly program, and has been extremely beneficial in the peer educator process and establishing our club on campus as well as providing information on mental health awareness.

Preparing students for sexual violence prevention work

Aaron Maracle, University at Buffalo

Working in the field of sexual violence can be difficult for professionals, let alone students. This program will explore ways to identify and prepare peer educators for sexual violence prevention work.

Programming, Recruitment, and Training: What Can Be Learned from the National Peer Educator Study

Jacob Lemon, Michigan State University

Is your training adequate enough for the types of conversations peer educators are having with peers? What do we know about the time they dedicate to educationally purposeful activities in their peer educator roles? For over ten years, the National Peer Educator Survey (NPES) has collected data on peer educators. In this session, we will explore interesting trends that have emerged with peer educator demographics, programming, and training. Participants will reflect on their own experiences in how they relate to the findings of the NPES, and they will develop tangible goals for strengthening peer education programs on their own campuses.

Red Watch Band CARE Team, A Systematic Approach to Alcohol Prevention

Kerri Mahoney, Stony Brook University

This presentation will focus on sharing with the audience the development of the Red Watch Band (RWB) CARE Team, the methods of recruitment for student leaders, provide examples of their work and discuss social networking theory. The program will also discuss the role of student leaders in campus program engagement via the development and work of the RWB Care Team. Furthermore we will demonstrate the use of the Care Team to achieve saturation of an effective program on campus. We will share these methods and our experiences which can be applied to other bystander and peer education programs on campus where saturation of a program or social norm is desired.

Sources of Strength: Advancing Prevention Efforts through a Contagion of Hope, Help, and Strength

Rana Razzaque, Sources of Strength

This highly interactive session engages peer educators with research and practical steps for implementing Sources of Strength. This is a radically upstream, evidence-based wellness program led by students for students. Through a focus on developing resiliency and positive social norming, Sources of Strength actively prevents issues of suicide, bullying, substance abuse and violence through establishing a climate of hope, help and strength. We will dive into the theory and effectiveness of utilizing positive, resiliency-based programming, consider protective factors that are responsive to each diverse community, discuss practical steps for developing engaging campaigns that foster connectedness, work through potential challenges and establish plans to address them, and apply the foundational guiding concepts of this program to participants’ lives and communities.

Unpacking your prevention program: a Culture of Respect workshop inviting practitioners to think critically about strategic prevention

Sarice Greenstein, Culture of Respect, NASPA

This workshop will provide peer education advisors with the opportunity to think critically about their campus prevention strategy. Presenters will use Nation et al.’s Nine Principles of Prevention as a framework that will allow advisors to examine their current prevention strategy and identify areas of strength and opportunity. Advisors will be given the option to work on any prevention area and the space to brainstorm with colleagues from across the country to help strengthen their prevention efforts.

A Fresh Perspective on Mental Health Programming

Michele Martin, Georgia Southern University

Approximately 1 in 4 college students struggle with a mental illness and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals 15-24 years of age. Furthermore, according to the Spring 2016 National College Health Assessment, approximately 1/3 of college students felt so depressed it was difficult to function and more than half felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year. Additionally, ages 18-25 are the least help seeking age group due to stigma. How can we keep our campuses talking about mental health in order to de-stigmatize the issue? This presentation will walk you through executing an evidence based mental health outreach program which can be replicated on your campus.

A Peer to Peer Approach to Prevent and Respond to Dating Abuse

Sarah Diaz, Butler University

This session will highlight the critical role peer educators can play to raise awareness about dating abuse through film screenings, workshops and innovative use of social media. Attendees will learn about free resources (including assessment tools!) available through the One Love foundation, and hear about how Butler University peer educators have leveraged those resources to reach over 700 students in one semester.

Greek Life Peer Education

Jayme Trogus, Millersville University

There is no shortage of negative media surrounding the high risk behaviors of students involved in fraternities and sororities across our college campuses. Rather than further isolating our Greek Life community from prevention initiatives and continuing to label them as a high risk population, we chose to engage fraternities and sororities in peer education through developed a peer education program.s. In this presentation, participants will be provided with an opportunity to learn about our Greek Life peer education program, the research behind the program, how we recruit and engage Greek Life peer educators, and the prevention initiatives that the Greek Life peer educators have planned, delivered and evaluated.

Leadership and Successful Management of Peer Education Programs

Jon Fritsch, Virginia Tech

**Note: this session lasts 90 minutes and will not include a formal break.** Would you like to have a peer education program with over a hundred applicants for 24 positions? Where you only recruit every two years and have 2 and 3 year retention rates? With highly dedicated, fun, and effective program facilitators? Who are all volunteers? Laurie and Jon Fritsch have decades of experience managing peer education and public health programs, and will discuss methods that can help you improve yours. They will present their principles for successful management of health programs, leadership of peer educators, and effective use of resources. The program will include HEAT members discussing their experiences with many aspects of their program and leadership methods. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in discussion and Q&A in this session.

Resilience: Bounce Back!

Alyssa Montecalvo, Suffolk University

What does failure mean to you? How do you bounce back from it? Majority of students have fixed mindsets about disappointment and failure and because of this they negatively impact their self-growth and ability to achieve goals. Join us, the Suffolk University Peer-Health Educators (SUPERs), to learn about what resiliency is and how to “bounce back” from “failure.” This presentation will inform the audience on strategies to cope with setbacks. It will be an interactive discussion including sharing experiences and doing growth exercises. Come learn about the ways to bounce back from adversity and how to navigate difficult challenges with awareness, intention, and skill so you can bring it back to your own campus!

Return of the The Czar, Wizard, & The Doctor and discuss evidence- and theory-informed AOD misuse prevention

Alicia Czachowski, Columbia University

The Czar, Wizard, and Doctor return for another year of answering your AOD misuse prevention questions! What happens to the body when you mix alcohol and marijuana? Do e-cigs help you quit or harm your body? Why don’t crashed cars work to decrease high-risk drinking? What are the best ways for peer educators to create positive behavior change? So many questions and now is the time to ask them! A panel of alcohol and other drug professionals will take your questions on everything from high risk substance use prevention to effective programming for peer educators. Join us and get in the know!

USAFA Personal Ethics and Education Representatives: Achieving the Mission by Understanding the Person

Rebekah Auld, United States Air Force Academy

W.C.H. Prentice wrote, “When the leader succeeds, it will be because he has learned two basic lessons: Men are complex, and men are different” (2004). United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets are empowered to practice effective leadership and followership through rigorous academic and military duties; however, to cultivate leaders prepared to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace, it is vital they comprehend, value, and connect with the individuals they serve in a leadership capacity. Through the effective application of the USAFA Personal, Interpersonal, Team and Organizational (PITO) model, PEERs develop as professionals and leaders who are better equipped to respond to and support subordinates in the workplace by understanding mission success relies on the overall health and wellbeing of their personnel. The mission of the USAFA PEER program is to provide a supportive environment for cadets and an opportunity for them to find help when facing troubling issues. To achieve their mission, PEERs focus their efforts on education, outreach, active listening, support and referrals to USAFA professional helping agencies. In Academic Year 2016-2017 the PEERs logged over 562 cadet-to-PEER supportive encounters, conducted approximately eight large-scale outreach events across the campus, and provided regular training to over 4000 individuals, while enhancing their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills through setbacks and success.

CPE Round Table

JM Alatis, NASPA

The CPE Program continues to grow – with over 500 trainers at over 300 campuses, this flagship program continues to expand. The BACCHUS team is dedicated to providing continued resources and support to the program and is exploring ways to further enhance. Join Assistant Director of BACCHUS Initiatives, JM Alatis, in this roundtable discussion of where CPE is, what feedback you have, and what ways you would like to see it grow moving forward.

Showcase Session: Fresh Check Day: A Fresh Approah to Campus Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention/ Be Well: A Call to Accessible Stress Management Resources for Students

Ainsley Worrell, East Carolina University and Christine Nelson, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

There is a growing mental health crisis within higher education. Approximately one in ten college students contemplates suicide each year, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults aged 15-24.1 According to the Spring 2015 National College Health Assessment, one-third of college students felt so depressed it was difficult to function and more than half felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year.2 Since mental illness has campus-wide implications, campus-wide involvement is necessary to address this issue. Research shows that peer to peer education is an impactful practice in reducing the stigma while promoting help-seeking behaviors4. Fresh Check Day is an innovative, fair-like event that utilizes researched based mental health strategies and peer to peer messaging to provide an inclusive environment where discuss difficult topics such as eating disorders, sexual orientation, and alcohol, another drug dependency, and sexual assault among college students.

One of the challenges that college students often have to confront is chronic stress and how to manage it in a healthy manner. According to the 2016 ACHA-National College Health Assessment II, 32% of college students reported that chronic stress has negatively affected their academic performance and 43% of college students experienced more than an average level of stress within the past year. This presentation describes how the implementation of a massage chair within a peer health education program can help relieve stress for students and staff on campus. Audience members will be involved by participating in a stress-relieving activity and a discussion regarding how to provide a quiet, safe place for students.

Leadership and Successful Management of Peer Education Programs

Jon Fritsch, Virginia Tech

**Note: this is a two part session** Would you like to have a peer education program with over a hundred applicants for 24 positions? Where you only recruit every two years and have 2 and 3 year retention rates? With highly dedicated, fun, and effective program facilitators? Who are all volunteers? Laurie and Jon Fritsch have decades of experience managing peer education and public health programs, and will discuss methods that can help you improve yours. They will present their principles for successful management of health programs, leadership of peer educators, and effective use of resources. The program will include HEAT members discussing their experiences with many aspects of their program and leadership methods. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in discussion and Q&A in this session.

Love Like You

Jasmine Lee, University of West Florida

Many students do not recognize what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy relationship. Oftentimes, one may not be aware of red flags of an unhealthy relationship until they are already involved in one. This Steven Universe themed program will help students better understand characteristics of relationships, relationship stages, and the vital role that communication plays in both healthy and unhealthy relationships. This program is discussion based and uses video examples derived from episodes of Cartoon Network's Steven Universe to understand the always-evolving world of relationships.

Peer Education for Life: Becoming a Health Educator

Mandy Parente, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Serving as a peer educator in college is an experience like no other. Did you know that you can continue the experience after you graduate? Health education and health promotion is a rapidly growing field, and peer educators are a natural fit. Whether you are senior debating graduate school options or a first year student determining a major, this session will help you understand more about our field and ways to develop a career in health education.

Sober-lebrities

Evan James, University of North Carolina Wilmington

“I didn’t know they were in recovery!” The game “Sober-lebrities” showcases how an addiction does not define the future! Using a matching card game, participants are able to identify celebrities who have struggled with an addiction to alcohol or other drugs, gone through recovery, and have found success in their field. “Sober-lebrities” increases awareness for addiction, recovery, and support.

The Power of Personal Positivity!

Liana Natochy, Bowling Green State University

Self-care is the best care, but with the demands placed on individual’s today self-care may not always be a priority. Whether or not we know it self-care is an important practice involving devoting time to oneself to feel better while alleviating potential burnout. This presentation will teach participants how to identify personal stressors, passions, happiness, support systems, the importance of positive self-talk/affirmations, how to incorporate self-care into daily life, and actionable steps one can take to make self-care a priority now. If we knew we could positively change our lives by practicing self-care would we do it? The purpose of this presentation is to raise awareness of what self-care is and looks like, how to incorporate self-care into daily routines, and how to be intentional about practicing self-care. By increasing knowledge about self through interactive activities, dialogue, reflection, and information participants will be prepared to better focus on the self.

Wellness on Cloud 9: How to Successfully Implement Wellness on Your Campus

Cristelle Garnier, Rollins College

This session will focus on how to incorporate the 9 dimensions of wellness through peer health education and partnerships with campus departments. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to tailor programming to address the most relevant issues on their campus based on research, health promotion methods, and positive norming campaigns. In addition, data from past successful programming at Rollins College will be introduced to spark the discussion of how you can do the same for your campus.

Yoga for Resilience

Kelly Schumacher, Suffolk University

Helping build a resilient student has become a hot topic of discussion among Higher Education professionals over the last few years. Resilience is defined has having the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; the ability to spring back and exert toughness. Many programs, initiatives and campaigns have sprung up on college campuses encouraging students to “be more resilient” and “take on life’s challenges” but building those skill sets isn’t always taught. Many studies have shown practicing yoga to be an effective tool when creating a stronger mindset and ability to cope with stressful situations. This program explores how the Counseling, Health, and Wellness department will be using yoga classes to encourage and build resilience among its community members.

Sexual Violence Prevention Workshop

Aaron Maracle, University at Buffalo

Join Aaron Maracle from the University at Buffalo to discuss supporting sexual violence prevention efforts on campus.

Exhibitor Breakfast

Thanks to generous sponsorship from our exhibitors, we are delighted to offer a continental breakfast to all attendees. Please join us for breakfast and visit with our exhibitors before our featured speaker sessions.

BACCHUS Sexperts

Lisa Currie, Michael McNeil and Joleen Nevers

Join Lisa Currie, Michael McNeil and Joleen Nevers (the BACCHUS Sexperts) as they draw upon many years of “experience” in the field of sexual health education to answer questions. Additionally, information on how to conduct an "Ask the Sexperts" session on your campus and key Sexpert resources will be shared.

#StopProfiling: Tobacco as a Social Justice Issue

Katlyn Formanski

The tobacco industry has used aggressive advertising tactics to influence smoking behaviors in vulnerable communities for decades. To effectively respond to the challenges that Big Tobacco poses to at-risk populations and community health, it is vital to explore the collision between tobacco and social injustice. During this interactive program, participants will learn how the Truth Initiative is driving a wedge between the tobacco industry and marginalized communities. Participants will also learn innovative strategies that activists are employing at the local level in order to empower members of their own communities to join the movement in making tobacco a thing of the past.

Survival ain’t Pretty – Balancing Mental Illness & Responsibilities

Craig Bidiman

Adulting is hard—it’s also incredibly unsettling. Responsibilities add up, life doesn’t slow down, and sometimes our brains get the best of us amid all of the chaos—especially when we’re just trying to enjoy ourselves! Craig Bidiman has had his fair share of challenges en route to becoming a professional wellness specialist. But it’s his mistakes that have made him a stronger, more efficient, and disciplined person. Throughout the moments of his life where he was completely out of control, he sought out art, music, exercise, and wellness practices to take control of what little he could. His story of everyday survival is vulnerable, heartbreaking, and honestly, pretty funny—so strap in and get ready for a messy ride.

Comic Cons: Breaking Down Gender and Sexuality in Comics

Mattie Ocker, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Comic Cons examines the pervasive stereotypes related to gender and sexuality within the DC and Marvel universes. By exploring the history of comics, we will identify cultural and societal norms to shine a, Green Lantern’s, light on the potentially dangerous pressures of gender roles. This program will address how sexuality and gender stereotypes can influence individual’s views on healthy vs. unhealthy relationships.

Get In the Green

Loren Waltz, Millersville University

Raising awareness of the Red Zone and the increased risk of sexual assault during the first few weeks of the semester is imperative to the successful transition of our first year students. This interactive program focuses on raising awareness about sexual assault and the Red Zone on college campuses by providing students with information on sexual assault, dispelling myths many of our students are aware prior to coming to campus, will engage participants in active discussion and role play, and will provide an opportunity for students to further understand the role of bystander intervention as an effective violence prevention strategy.

Musical Mindfulness

Matthew Trovato, DeSales University

This program invites peer educators to explore the role that music of various genres plays in our mental and emotional life. Even Aristotle stated in the 4th century B.C.E. that music, more than any other art form, imitates the rhythms and cadences of the human psyche. As such, music can be employed in auditory meditation to bring a heightened awareness to the color and magnitude of thoughts and emotions that reside in a person’s consciousness in such a way that provides an opportunity to manage one’s thoughts and feelings while doing so in a calm and relaxed internal and external environment.

Reflections in this mirror may be distorted by societal standards of beauty

Sarah Carstens, Georgia Southern University

Nearly half of women report having a negative body image; 20% of students report a history with an eating disorder. To combat these statistics, body positive programs aim to influence students’ mental & physical health through tactics that encourage realistic body image and healthy behaviors. Georgia Southern University presenters will explore the concepts of body positivity, body image among men & minorities, misconceptions about body-image, and methods for successful implementation of body positive programs.

The Bradley HEAT Presents "The Power of Perception"

Anna Reed, Bradley University

This presentation highlights the definitions of bystander effect and consent. It goes in depth with ample examples about bystander effect, how you can "step up" and be the change to help someone in need, and what to look for in questionable situations if someone is in need. Consent and its true definition are extensively covered, along with ample videos and examples on what consent is as well as how to give and receive consent.

Tick Tock Manage Your Clock!

Liana Natochy, Bowling Green State University

There are 1,440 minutes in a day but how we choose to prioritize and spend them may be very different from person-to-person or day-to-day. Whether we know it or not being able to effectively manage time is an important skill which allows individuals to feel better about handling their daily routines and commitments. This presentation will teach participants how to identify life priorities and commitments, understand why they are important, strategies for productivity, and tips for developing routines rooted in self-care to more effectively manage time. If we knew exactly how to tackle our day with intention how would we feel? The purpose of this presentation is to raise awareness on what time management is and looks like by giving one the tools, skills, and knowledge to better manage time. By increasing knowledge about life prioritizes/ commitments through activities, reflection, conversation, and information participants will be prepared to manage time.

Voice of Reason - Students Having Peer-led Authentic Conversations to Reduce High-Risk Drinking

Heather Parrino, University of Louisville

Voice of Reason (VOR), an adaptation of the Popular Opinion Leader Model, is a peer-led strategy to reduce high-risk drinking in fraternity and sorority populations. Grounded in social diffusion theory, VOR trains college students to share risk-reduction messages within their social networks that encourage adoption of new norms and behaviors for safer drinking. University of Louisville’s BRICC Coalition and PIRE developed VOR to be five one-hour educational and interactive sessions where students learn and practice effective communication strategies on the topics of standard drink sizes, signs of alcohol poisoning, medical amnesty laws, identifying risk factors for heavy drinking, and talking with friends about protective strategies that prevent heavy drinking and related consequences. This presentation will discuss program success since 2013 implementation, and the core components of VOR implementation and evaluation. We also will discuss our VOR Training Manual, which makes replication easy and sets campuses up for success.

Yes we can! An exploration of what it takes to create meaningful change on campus

Sarice Greenstein, Culture of Respect, NASPA

This workshop invites students to think critically about how to execute successful activism. The presenters will offer a framework that can be used to analyze campus-based activism campaigns or broader social movements, and student attendees will have the opportunity to apply that framework to their own work. This session is appropriate for students who are interested in creating change on their campus and beyond.

Engaging Student Volunteers at a Large University

Michaela Martin, The Ohio State University

Coordinating student volunteers at a large University can often be demanding. This session will provide space for advisors to share best practices, discuss challenges and identify opportunities for growth within their peer education groups.

Frameworks for Considering Civic Engagement and Integrating into Practice

Kristen Cambell, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement

What is civic engagement anyway? What does it include? How might I think about it, and what might it look like to incorporate it into my work? These are all questions PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement) has been receiving, and one reason we've created a new "Primer" (PACEfunders.org/primer). This primer is intended as a framework to explore some of these questions and help people translate interest into learning, and then practice. This session will provide an overview of the primer and the definitions, values, and practices of civic engagement it offers, and then engage participants in a discussion about the opportunities and challenges of integrating civic engagement into your strategies and programs.

Preparing students for sexual violence prevention work

Aaron Maracle, University at Buffalo

Working in the field of sexual violence can be difficult for professionals, let alone students. This program will explore ways to identify and prepare peer educators for sexual violence prevention work.

Rejecting the Diet Mentality

Lauren Sigmon, Radford University

'Rejecting the Diet Mentality' is a program written by 4 nutrition majors on how students can go about developing healthier eating patterns in their day to day lives. The presenters will go into detail about influences in food choices, the understanding that all foods can fit into one's diet, deciding proper portions of food as a college student, and knowing what happens when an individual falls into trendy diets. After understanding the concepts, peer educators will learn how they can improve their individual lifestyle based on their needs and how to share this at their own universities.

Should I Stay, or Should I Go?

Gracie Wheeles, James Madison University

Building and maintaining a healthy relationship can be hard, but how do you know when a partner’s behavior has crossed a line? How do you talk to a friend who you might suspect is in an abusive relationship? In Should I Stay, or Should I Go, we explore the sometimes complicated dynamics of abuse in an interactive, activity-based program designed specifically for and facilitated by college students. Learn about red flags of an abusive relationship, and gain a better understanding of how these red flags play out in the cycle of abuse. Equally as important, come discuss what defines a healthy relationship, and learn tips for increasing effective communication with a sexual/romantic partner. This program is gender and sexuality inclusive, and doesn’t make assumptions about the health of a relationship based on its longevity – no matter how you define it, everyone deserves to be safe and happy in their relationship!

Speak Up and Speak Out: Implementing Mental Health Advocacy

Marian Baker, Furman University

Mental illness is one of the most pressing issues on campuses nationwide. Almost every college student knows someone struggling with depression, anxiety, OCD, an eating disorder, or simply stress. Often, these individuals are met with stigma, ostracization, or misguided attempts at help that actually hurt. As such, the area of mental health is in need of strong advocates who understand the struggles inherent to mental illness. This session will instruct other Certified Peer Educators on how to implement mental health programming that addresses how to recognize and help those with mental illnesses and how to combat stigma. One way that our Certified Peer Educators do this is through our annual “Speak Out” event, in which several students share their stories and their journey with mental illness. We’ll show you how to host a similar event, so you too can Speak Up, and Speak Out!

The WellCzar Program: Empowering Wellness Liaisons in College Housing

Danielle Grubb, University of Chicago

This program will highlight the WellCzar program at the University of Chicago. WellCzars are elected student representatives in the residence halls that act as liaisons between the Wellness department and Housing. There will be a description of the program including how we train our WellCzars, what resources they provide, and how we keep the program growing. There will also be a discussion about how to apply a similar peer based program to the attendee’s own institution.

Watch Your BAC: A Harm Reduction Approach to Alcohol Education

Adeline Carothers, The University of Tampa

This program will provide insight as to how The University of Tampa as a mid sized university structures their alcohol education programming under the umbrella of the Live Well UT peer education initiative. We will explain the harm reduction approach of the alcohol education program, Watch Your BAC, by sharing its focal points: moderation techniques; understanding blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and staying in the “green zone”; standard drink equivalents; and harm-reduction. Programming and events that Watch Your BAC hosts on campus will be shared and the audience will be provided with engaging ways to relate to students when it comes to safe alcohol use. The importance of community partnerships with local coalitions, behavioral health facilities and law enforcement will also be shared. The program will conclude with a look at the data that has been collected on the utilization of this program on our campus.

WE CAN and we did! Developing, Operationalizing, and Diversifying Peer Health Educators.

Saray Smalls, Appalachian State University

The Wellness Educators for Change, Advocacy, and student Needs (WE CAN) is a peer health education group the works as an extension of the Department of Wellness and Prevention Services at Appalachian State University. Established during the 2015-2016 academic year, this organization is the result of two previously existing student peer organizations. The presenter will discuss why this peer educator group was developed and how formative assessment and a review of the Socio Ecologic Model was used to best operationalize, brand, and improve membership engagement in its first 2 years as a student organization. Those in attendance will learn how to utilize formative assessment to review their peer groups structure and function and to identify two (2) or more strategies for recruiting diverse students.

What does an ENTHUSIASTIC YES really look like?

Megan Lewis, Babson College

Sexual misconduct presentations explain the definition of consent and the repercussions of sexual assault, but how often do we take a step back to talk about what consent looks like in the real world? Do you have to sign a contract? How can asking for consent be sexy? What does consent really look like with an enthusiastic yes? A definite no? And what do you do when it’s unclear? Positive Consent is an innovative training program about consent and what it looks like in REAL LIFE. It is designed for use with incoming first-year, transfer, and exchange students during orientation. During this session, Babson peer health educators will present the curriculum and share their insights on best practices and creating positive culture change on campus.

Building support for CPE as a semester long course

Mandy Parente, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Join Mandy Parente from the University of Alabama at Birmingham to discuss building stakeholder support for peer education coursework.

Advisors Luncheon

Kristen Cambell

PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement) is a network of foundations and funders that invest in civic engagement and democratic practice. Kristen Cambell, PACE Executive Director, will share brief remarks on how PACE and its members define and think about civic engagement, and engage the group in discussion about why and how civic health is important to creating positive outcomes in communities, including increased health, safety, and well-being. Advisors who attend this session will have an opportunity to learn about PACE’s frameworks, as well as connect with other advisors to continue the conversation about civic engagement on campus.

Student Lunch and SAC DIrector Election

Come elect your new Student Advisory Committee Directors! Each candidate will be providing a short speech where you will then be able to ask a few questions. Every voice matters! Lunch and dessert will be provided.

FreshU Kitchen: Bring healthy meals directly to your students

Dominic Beswick, University of Central Florida

The FreshU nutrition program at UCF’s Wellness and Health Promotion Services (WHPS) offers students cooking demonstrations and classes to increase accessibility to fresh food on campus and reduce food waste. Although our previous services were marketed regularly, the limited space and out of sight location allowed only 20-30 students to participate per event. As a part of a larger nutrition program, WHPS introduced the FreshU Kitchen, which meets students on a larger scale with a mobile demonstration kitchen, the first of its kind at universities. While similar to a food truck, this program's focus is to offer a crucial education component as well as provide all meals demonstrated for free. Through the FreshU Kitchen, WHPS now reaches approximately 150 students per event. This presentation will discuss the challenges and successes of this program and show you how you can replicate it on any campus.

I Want to do What My Advisor Does: Career Paths to Consider

Matthew Wawrzynski, Michigan State University

In a few months, you will be graduating, and if you are like many of your classmates, you are thinking about future career directions and paths. Suddenly, it hits you; you would like to continue working with college students, just like your advisor. How do you get there? Do you need another college degree? What kind of degree do you need? Where should you apply? How do you communicate what you are learning from your experiences as a peer educator? Come learn how to navigate your next career steps and develop a resume that represents your peer educator skills and learning.

Incorporating Mental Health Programming Into Your Peer Program

Alissa Assad,Roger Williams University

While mental health issues are increasing among college students, programming in this area is often times minimal in peer education groups unless their university's counseling center has their own peer program. In this session learn how Roger Williams University Health and Wellness educators increased education and awareness in this area without decreasing their traditional programming in sex education and alcohol and other drug issues. You will also walk away with the ability to start a mental health program called "Letters From A Friend".

Planning a Wellness Speaker Series: Not as Hard as it Looks

Rebecca Glinn, University of Delaware

In this presentation, peer educators from the University of Delaware will be sharing the details of their annual Wellness Speakers Series that attracts over 300 students each year. Learn how you can bring three diverse and exciting speakers, collaborate with cosponsors, and advertise this semester long event. This program details a clear method in planning campus-wide programming that reaches a wide-array of students. In groups, attendees will use their creativity and knowledge to plan a mock speaker series that addresses their campus community’s interest and needs. Peer educators who attend this program will gain confidence in their ability to organize and execute a large-scale campus event, as well as become empowered to bring more inclusive speakers to their college community. Participants will leave this program with a concise, step-by-step guide to planning a speaker series, which can be easily adapted to accommodate other large scale events.

Showcase Session: Prevention Education at the University of Northern Colorado/Engaging in Cross Campus Collaboration at Fort Lewis College

Taylor Maziarka, University of Northern Colorado and Kendra Reichle, Fort Lewis College

The Center for Peer Education at the University of Northern Colorado plans prevention education programs across campus with the end goal of harm reduction. Our most successful programs include "Have a Little Pot Day," monthly bingo/trivia, and a condom tree. During our presentation, we will go into further depth about our office, our program approach, and how we have executed successful events thus far.

The Wellness Peer Advisory Council (WellPAC) engages students from diverse backgrounds in health and wellness programming at Fort Lewis College. WellPAC aims to meet people where they are at and recognizes that pushing education on students participating in risky behaviors simply doesn’t work. Instead, drawing from evidence based research and teaming up with faculty, we work to provide resources to students in creative and innovative ways. Our presentation will give more insight into our approaches, successful partnerships with academic affairs, navigating group dynamics, and successes and challenges we’ve faced.

Self Care in Social Justice Work

Blair Findlay, Butler University

Whether it is your job or your passion, social justice work is an important part of many people’s lives. These critical roles, while incredibly rewarding, can be stressful and lead to emotional burnout. In order to successfully help others, we need to also focus on self care. Butler University peer education groups have ran many programs in order to reduce stress, individually and as a group. “Self Care in Social Justice Work” will focus on the signs of burnout, assessing risk for burnout, and methods for risk reduction and self care.

Shaking the Sheets in the South: Condom Dispenser Policies at Rural Universities

Steven Waldrop, Georgia Southern University

According to the Spring 2016 National College Health Assessment, less than half of all sexually active college students use condoms during vaginal intercourse while less than 30% during anal intercourse. Multiple factors may contribute to the lack of using condoms including accessibility, availability and acceptability. Scientific evidence supports the development of a structural level intervention or a Condom Distribution Program. During this session participants can expect an interactive presentation and discussion about implementing a structural level intervention on their campus. The program will focus on the condom availability policy created by the peer education group, the Wellness Ambassadors. We will also give an overview of a successful partnership opportunity to assist in bringing such policy to life.

Size Doesn't Matter

Meghan Stough, The University of Alabama

This program will discuss scalability amongst different college campuses across the United States. Each presenter will describe their different methods of outreach at their own school. The audience will be able to recognize overlap between the issues each school faces despite their size and diversity. This program will show successes and challenges of various methods to combat these issues, demonstrating that one size doesn’t always fit all when it comes to peer education. There are many different sized mountains and they are all hard to move.

Sex Ed Tune Up

Joleen M Nevers, University of Connecticut

Upon completing this session attendees will be able to: • Identify two sex education facts • Identify two data bases where statistics can be found for sex education programs • Identify two models that can be utilized in sex education

Developing Sustainable and Comprehensive Evaluation of Peer Health Education Programs

Brittney Vigna, The University of Alabama

This presentation will help health educators and peer education advisors develop and assess learning-outcome driven peer education programs that are sustainable, cost-effective, and comprehensive based on need. Based on the efforts of 175 peer educators, this program will explain how to tailor assessment and outreach strategies of peer education programs for use on other campuses. This program will touch on innovative strategies to engage students across all backgrounds. Additionally, this program will provide methods for improving experiential learning, evaluating peer educators, and developing evidence-based outreach programming.

Dangers of Saving Face: Behind the masks of peer educators

Sarah Kook, College of William and Mary

Due to their expectations, many peer health educators face unique challenges and barriers preventing them from utilizing their own campus resources. This interactive program will explore both positive and negative aspects of these roles, and create an open dialogue to discuss them. Participants will leave the session with strategies to better support each other, as well as various resources peer educators could use to enhance their own wellness.

Docu-mythery

Meghan Sullivan, University of North Carolina Wilmington

College students often find themselves relying on various forms of media as their primary method of obtaining information. As a vulnerable population, many students fall victim to the persuasive techniques utilized by these various forms of media. As a result, they are all too often fed unreliable information. With nutritional documentaries becoming increasingly popular, it is necessary that we remind students that not everything you see in these films is accurate. This interactive program specifically focuses on the nutritional myths found in the documentary, What The Health, with a focus on recognizing persuasive techniques, and working towards becoming more ‘media literate.’ Come test your skills to see if you have what it takes to find the truth within the myths!

HIV HIGH/LOW/NO

Katie Buell-Corbridge, Georgia Gwinnett College

Our most requested program on campus, HIV High/Low/No. Is what you are doing High Risk? Low Risk? No Risk? Learn how to replicate this interactive program on your campus. This game, although easy and fun, provokes students to think about their own actions/behaviors/activities/ that could put them at risk for HIV. Remember: It is not who you are but what you do that puts you at risk for HIV.

Humans of UNLV: Developing Resilience through Digital Connections

Kimberly Tomas, University of Nevada Las Vegas

On today’s college campuses, resilience is a hot topic and a key to academic success and lifelong wellness. This presentation will share the details of the student-led, start-of-school kickoff event, Humans of UNLV, which focuses on the connection between resilience and academic success. Participants attending this session will define what resilience as a life skill looks like on a college campus, explore links between digital and on-campus programming, and create a plan for their own resilience program.

That's a Good Question: Answering Difficult Questions

Joleen M Nevers, University of Connecticut

Peer educators and advisors are bound to be asked difficult questions. How can peer educators and advisors be sure that they are answering these questions to the best of their ability? What are your peer education group boundaries? Are they the same as your boundaries? Join us for a workshop about identifying different types of difficult questions and learn some strategies for answering them. We will be presenting tips and strategies for effectively answering difficult questions in addition to discussing group boundaries.

The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus (Part One)

Alexa Ross, Miami University

The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus consists of a two part program workshop: Part One involves viewing a 45 minute movie, Escalation, and Part Two is a brief, trained facilitator led interactive discussion of the film as well as an informational discussion of Escalation adaptation for your campus. The film shown in Part One tells the story of Paige and Chase, two college students in an unhealthy relationship that ends in tragedy. The film aims to shed light on relationship abusive behaviors and raise awareness regarding the red flags of relationship violence from a realistic, relatable paradigm. Continue to Part Two of the program which engages the audience in a debriefing discussion of the film as well as a conversation on how you can bring Escalation to your campus! *The contents of the video shown include sensitive material and viewer discretion is advised.

Your 1st Nova Birthday: Motivational Interviewing Conversations between Peer Educators and Students

Samantha Tatulli, Villanova University

Looking for a new and innovative way to reach the freshman on your campus? Come celebrate YOUR First Villanova Birthday with us! Our Birthday program has helped us to reach over 890 freshman students on Villanova’s campus. This informal outreach initiative is an easy program that any campus can implement. Through this program, peers use motivational interviewing strategies to educate new students on several topics, including transition to the University, helpful campus resources, protective drinking strategies, and alternative ways to celebrate, such as weekly campus events and activities. We have adapted this program to reach our commuter and off-campus students as well as those who have birthdays over the holidays and breaks. If you are looking for a fun and easy way to reach your first-year students, come celebrate “Your First Villanova Birthday” with us!

What's Next for Peer Education

David Arnold, NASPA

Join David Arnold, Senior Director of BACCHUS Initiatives to discuss the future of peer education efforts on college campuses.

Showcase Session: Complying with Federal Requirements Without Putting Students to Sleep /Build Your Brand Through Social Media

Gino Fraboni, Gustavus Adolphus College and Megan Lewis, Babson College

State and Federal laws require universities to disseminate information on policies within a timely manner to incoming first year students. The Gustavus Peer Assistants created short, customizable skits that allow colleges to remain in compliance with State and Federal requirements, while providing invaluable concepts in an engaging format. Throughout this presentation, the Peer Assistants act out scenarios on topics such as Bystander Intervention, sexual misconduct, and alcohol overdose. Each skit is followed up with education on policies such as Title IX, Alcohol and Other Drug Policy, along with Medical Amnesty. The presentation concludes with quick skits introducing the wide variety of resources offered on campus. /Did you know the average college students spends nearly ? of their time consuming media through theirphones and social media platforms? Social media marketing has proven to be one of the strongermethods to reach and impact your peers. This presentation will show you how to leverage social media tosolidify your brand, build your following, and utilize your influencers! From content generation, toresearch analysis, and everything (social-media related) in between, we will help you develop takeawaystrategies that you can use for your peer education group on your campus.

How To Spread Body Positivity in a Body Negative World

Sammy Clark, Montana State University

Join student leaders from Montana State University’s Office of Health Advancement as they discuss their multi-faceted approach to spreading body positivity. They will discuss the researched-based Body Project Program for young women, as well as their efforts to spread the message of body love to all genders. Body acceptance and the pursuit of a healthy, rather than thin body can help people thrive mentally, socially, and physically. This engaging program will leave you feeling prepared to spread body love on your campus and beyond.

Get it Right! MAP your Night.

Delaney Anderson, University of West Florida

Many college students may not know the importance of planning a night out. Students may experience risky situations that often carry heavy consequences, which can effect more than a bad hangover. What is the best way to have students realize how to have a smart night out? Letting them make their own decisions and see where it will take them! The Peer Educators of The University of West Florida are here to give you the MAP for a safe and fun night! MAP or Minimizing Alcohol Problems is a fun way to make decisions about alcohol use. This magazine-style quiz will let students create their own path on a night out by choosing between different scenarios that will lead them to one of four outcomes based off their decisions.

Health and Wellness Promotion Via Blogging and Social Media Outreach

Alyssa Harrington, University of Montana

Most people are familiar with the ins-and-outs of running a personal social media account, however coordinating a professional account can be much more challenging. During this session, the presenters will explore a variety of social media platforms proven effective when promoting health to a college campus, and explain various ways to utilize social media and blogging to help improve the health and well-being of college students. The focus of this presentation is on the University of Montana’s Health Nut blog, the importance of social media for UM’s health promotion strategies, and to explain how to utilize analytics to improve the promotion of outreach events and other health topics on your own campus.

More than Measures

Tori Haling, James Madison University

How we feel about our bodies affects all aspects of our wellbeing. Inspired by The Body Project Collaborative, More than Measures is a discussion-based, interactive program on body image and body empowerment. In this session, the REACH peers will facilitate a discussion on the “thin/fit” ideal, how it is promoted to us in society, and ways to empower others to achieve the healthy ideal. In addition, we will discuss examples of negative self-talk and ways to combat negative self-talk and body shaming from ourselves and others. In this program, participants will examine their own behaviors around negative self-talk and learn about discussion points they can incorporate into their own inclusive body image programs.

Starting a Campus-Based Peer Support Hotline:Points to Consider

Craig Kimmelblatt, University at Albany - SUNY

Many college students experience stress and mental health concerns during times when campus health or counseling centers are closed, and others are reluctant to seek professional services for what they think are “minor” problems but feel more conformable talking to peers about these issues. Colleges and universities may respond to these needs with a peer educator-staffed hotline program. This workshop discusses how a peer educator-staffed hotline operates at a college campus – the University at Albany, SUNY Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program. Presenters will describe their hotline program and recent developments to include an online option. Discussion will include important issues to consider when starting a hotline service, such as the focus of the hotline, recruitment and staffing, training, and supervision of peer educators will be explored. Topics such as measuring the effectiveness of hotline services, dealing with suicide or homicide risk, and addressing questions of liability will also be explored.

The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus (Part Two)

Alexa Ross, Miami University

Following The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus (Part One) video viewing, Part Two of the program engages the audience in an abbreviated, debriefing discussion of the film as well as an informational session on how you can bring Escalation to your campus. The Escalation Workshop heightens the awareness and emphasizes the severity of red flags in unhealthy relationships. Part Two of the program prompts the audience members with a multitude of in-depth, thought provoking questions to elicit exploration of their prior experiences, personal lives, thoughts, beliefs, and values. Come learn from the strengths and weaknesses that we have experienced while pioneering The Escalation Workshop on Miami University’s campus for implementation at your school. The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus (Part Two) is beneficial independent of The Escalation Workshop: For Your Campus (Part One).

Your [Green] Campus

Charles Ferens, Saginaw Valley State University

Does your campus struggle with environmental-sustainability, Green Initiatives, or Eco-Programming? Then this discussion based and activity driven program is for you! This program will highlight the implementation and impact of employing recycling bins in each classroom in one academic hall. In addition, this program will explain how students can take steps to create Green Initiatives on their respective campuses. With a focus on creating “Green Culture” on college campuses, ‘Your [GREEN] Campus’ will have you leaving inspired and motivated to make a change!

Recruiting and Retaining Quality and Diverse Peer Educators

Jayme Trogus, Millersville University

If we build it, they will come....right? If we create an opportunity for students to be engaged in a quality leadership program, they will want to be a part of our program until they graduate...right? Recruiting and retaining effective peer educators can consume a great deal of our time as advisors and can be a significant source of frustration. During this session, two advisors will lead a discussion among advisors on strategies that are being used by various peer education programs to recruit and retain student leaders in order to have an effective and high functioning team that meets the diverse health education needs of the students on our campuses.

Jamie Piperato

Jamie Piperato (she, her(s), herself) is a higher education consultant and speaker.  She received her bachelor of science at SUNY Cortland in kinesiology with a concentration in sports studies and a masters degree in student affairs in higher education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is an educator, social justice advocate, and optimist. She is most comfortable center stage in a crowded room wearing a bow-tie and loves encouraging others to step outside their comfort zone.

JP has extensive experience working in higher education as a student affairs professional in the areas of multicultural education, LGBTQ support services, Title IX education, leadership, career development, and university housing. Currently, JP is the Founder of JPHigherEd, which is an identity-conscious professional development company that provides in-person trainings, online webinars, and online courses. To learn more about JPHigherEd, please visit JPHigherEd.com.

Hoan Do

Hoan Do is a  student success coach, author of Succeeding in the Real World, and competitor in NBC’s hit show, American Ninja Warrior.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO A BRIGHT FUTURE

From an early age, Hoan was conscious of the sacrifices his parents had made in their escape to the United States during the Vietnam War­ in pursuit of the American Dream. Feeling indebted to his parents for their courageous pursuit of a better life, Hoan vowed to ensure that one day, he would be able to take care of his parents. Hoan’s hard work took him to Malibu, California, where he attended Pepperdine University, fully engaging in the academic rigor and array of opportunities that the school offered. 

STRESSED STUDENT TO SUCCESSFUL SPEAKER

With the tremendous pressure Hoan placed on himself, in addition to the stresses of demanding classes, extracurricular responsibilities, and important life decisions, Hoan found himself overwhelmed. His self­esteem reached an all­ time low. He even contemplated suicide. Refusing to settle and give up on life, Hoan used this experience as a turning point to learn the practical skills that was necessary to succeed in school and in life. 

After graduating from Pepperdine University, Hoan beat out candidates who were considerably older and vastly more experienced than him to work with the #1 personal development company in the world.
As a national speaker and corporate trainer, Hoan conducted training sessions for distinguished audiences that included: 21, Bank of America, Honda, Toyota, UBS Financial, Chambers of Commerce, and the U.S. Army.

HOW HOAN CAN HELP YOU

Recognized as the best youth mentor by the International Examiner, Hoan travels across North America speaking at colleges, high schools and associations sharing practical advice that helps students to succeed in high school and in the real world. Hoan's young enough to relate to students, yet old enough to provide life changing advice. His engaging style and ability to share important life lessons in a way that students resonate with has earned him the Verizon Wireless Motivator Award. Learn more about Hoan at www.hoando.com

Jessica Houston

For nearly five years, Dr. Jessica Houston has traveled both nationally and internationally empowering thousands as an inspirational speaker, success coach and business consultant. Dr. Houston’s key messaging and platform are heavily influenced by her award-winning career in social work, counseling, and higher education, which expands more than a decade. She currently serves as professor at Kaplan University and owns and operates a successful personal and business development training company. Dr. Houston is also the author of the well received book, Women’s Secrets: It’s Time to Stop Suffering in Silence, which encourages women to stop masking and suppressing their pain so they can initiate the healing process and lead the victorious lives they are destined for.

Dr. Jessica Houston has surmounted experiences with poverty, depression, low self confidence and intimate partner violence, which fuels her passion for helping others overcome obstacles and lead abundant lives. To connect with Dr. Houston, please visit her website at www.expectingvictory.com.

Katlyn Formanski

Katlyn Formanski is an alumna of the Truth Initiative’s Youth Activism Fellowship. Truth Initiative is America's largest, non-profit, public health organization dedicated to making tobacco use a thing of the past. In 2016, Katlyn was tapped as one of thirty activists from across the United States to help influence a national movement to change the culture around tobacco use. This fellowship immensely furthered her experience in tobacco education, tobacco control research and policy study, and community activism and engagement.

Katlyn is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Health Professions with a Bachelor's degree in Health Science. While working with the University of Missouri’s Wellness Resource Center during her undergraduate career, she was selected as a Student Advisory Committee Representative within the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA from 2015-2016. Shortly after graduation, she began working in forensic toxicology to learn more about the chemistry of addiction and illicit substance use. Currently, Katlyn is attending DePaul University’s School of Nursing pursuing a Master’s in Nursing and plans to specialize in chemical dependency. Katlyn is thrilled to be returning to General Assembly as a Featured Speaker! To get in touch with Katlyn, please contact her at [email protected] To learn more about the Truth Initiative, please visit www.truthinitiative.org.

Craig Bidiman

Craig Bidiman (he/him) is the Health and Wellness Promotion Specialist at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He is the co-creator of the storytelling-based DIY nonprofit, the Art of Survival, which creates free pieces of art for survivors of trauma. He is also the host and creator of the eduPUNX Podcast, which features everyday educators and daily disrupters of the education system.

Craig is originally from Oregon, where he attended Oregon State University, gained two Bachelor of Arts degrees, taught high school for two years, and created multitudes of art and music. While in Oregon, he also took up many activist flames for mental health, sexual health, and queer rights. However, feeling as though his voice wasn’t yet fully formed, he moved across the country to attend graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he obtained a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration. Amherst helped him develop his voice for supporting student activism, as well as educating on topics of wellness, sexual health, and mental health. And now, as a professional, Craig has become a beacon for authenticity, smashing stigmas around sensitive topics, and for supporting fringe and alternative students. There is no topic too taboo for him.

You can likely find Craig on Instagram posting pictures of his tuxedo cats, his vinyl record collection, or his post-run selfies as he trains in an attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon. He’s also an avid painter, musician, and podcaster—you can find out even more at his website, CraigBidiman.com!

Kristen Cambell

Kristen Cambell is Executive Director of PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement). PACE's mission is to inspire interest, understanding, and investment in civic engagement within philanthropy and to be a voice for philanthropy in larger conversations taking place in the fields of civic engagement, service, and democratic practice.

Previously, Kristen was an independent consultant, focusing primarily in civic engagement, education, and leadership.  She was Chief Program Officer for the National Conference on Citizenship, where she served for 6 years, and prior to that, was a member of the social investment team at the Case Foundation. She originally launched her career in the nonprofit sector with a year of national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA at the Points of Light Foundation. Kristen serves on the Alumni Council of The Fund for American Studies, and is on the advisory boards of several national nonprofits.

Kristen's hometown is Norman, Oklahoma, and she is a graduate of East Central University in Ada. She currently resides in the Washington, DC area.

BACCHUS Sexperts

Lisa Currie, MSEd has over twenty-one years of professional experience in college health promotion, covering a range of student health issues in different campus settings, including Northwestern University, Wesleyan University, and the University of Scranton. Currently, she is focused on pursuing a PhD in Human Sexuality Education through Widener University’s Center for Human Sexuality Studies in Chester, PA; her research interests include reproductive justice and sexual minority women’s experience with pregnancy termination. Lisa's professional work in higher education has long been grounded in both public health and college student development theory and an ongoing interest in the influence of the campus environment, culture, and media on health behavior as well as student engagement in peer health education. Lisa has volunteered with BACCHUS in many capacities over the years, including as an area consultant and state coordinator, Advisor Academy faculty, and contributor to the Certified Peer Educator Training curriculum, and Sexpert for the SmarterSex.org website. Her 15 year old black cat, Bink, keeps her company quite nicely while she reads and writes for her coursework.

Michael McNeil is the Executive Director, Alice! Health Promotion, Student Health Insurance, & Immunization Compliance and faculty in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University. Prior to joining Columbia Health in 2006, Michael led the health promotion office and was a faculty member at two other universities. He is involved with a number of professional organizations including the American College Health Association, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, The BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA, and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Michael holds a B.A. in Sociology, an M.S. in Health Education, and an EdD in Higher Education Leadership.

Joleen Nevers is the Associate Director of Wellness and Prevention at the University of Connecticut. She oversees all department initiatives on campus including alcohol and other drugs, stress management, sleep, sexual health and other prevention topics. She has over 20 years of experience working in the field of sexuality and is a certified sex educator and a sex educator supervisor through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. With her expertise in sexuality, she is a content expert for Student Health 101 and has co-authored both peer reviewed publications and a book chapter. Joleen created and implemented "The UConn Sexperts", which is a nationally and regionally awarded peer education sexual health program. Joleen has volunteered for the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA, formerly as the Connecticut and Rhode Island State Coordinator, and more recently as a content expert for BACCHUS materials. She is also a Certified Laughter Leader though World Laughter Tour, Inc.