Peer Health Exchange (PHE) is a national non-profit organization that aims to give local teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions. We do this by training college students to teach a comprehensive health curriculum covering the following health topics: sexual-decision making, pregnancy prevention, STIs & HIV, healthy relationships, abusive relationships, rape & sexual assault, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and mental health. The Berkeley PHE chapter serves the local Bay Area ninth grade teen population as the main source of health education in these high schools.

Undergraduate students who are interested in learning more about public health, education, and social justice issues, and who would like to gain actual experience in health education should join PHE as a yearly commitment in the fall and spring semesters. The PHE DeCal combines classroom-based learning and discussion with volunteerism and community service in the field. This course will help students gain knowledge about health topics, develop basic skills in teaching, public speaking, and classroom management, learn about the context of public education in the Bay Area, and gain greater awareness about the issues of educational and health disparities. Students who enroll in the course meet every Tuesday from 6:30-8pm to discuss public health and education issues and teaching strategies (see schedule below), and teach health workshops in local public high schools during the week. You will be expected to commit 4-6 hours per week to become an effective health educator and teach weekly workshops.

If you are interested in gaining hands-on classroom teaching experience and working directly with young people, join UCB’s Peer Health Exchange Chapter!

Interested students will be selected based on their responses to an online application and an interview process. PHE is a yearlong course due to the nature of teaching an entire school year in our partner high schools.