Preparing School Health Facilitators: Building Competence and Confidence for a New Role

Authors

  • Kate E. Storey University of Alberta
  • Genevieve Montemurro University of Alberta
  • Margaret Schwartz APPLE Schools
  • Anna Farmer University of Alberta
  • Paul Veugelers University of Alberta

Keywords:

health promotion, child and adolescent health, comprehensive school health, professional preparation of school health personnel

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive school health (CSH) is an internationally recognized framework that provides opportunities for children and youth to develop health-enhancing behaviours while improving educational outcomes. However, there is little information on how to effectively train individuals to implement CSH. The purpose of this research was to describe the development and evaluation of a training program designed to prepare facilitators to work collaboratively with school communities to implement CSH.

METHODS: Ten facilitators from a CSH program were purposefully sampled and invited to participate in a self-administered open-ended structured interview immediately after completion of the training program and again one year later.

RESULTS: Analyses revealed that how the training was designed and implemented was equally as important as the content, and that building confidence was as important as building competence.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings are relevant to those interested in preparing school health facilitators and health promotion practitioners for practice in the field.

Author Biographies

Kate E. Storey, University of Alberta

Assistant Professor

School of Public Health

University of Alberta

Genevieve Montemurro, University of Alberta

Research Coordinator

School of Public Health

University of Alberta

Margaret Schwartz, APPLE Schools

Manager

APPLE Schools

Anna Farmer, University of Alberta

Associate Professor

Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Public Health

University of Alberta

Paul Veugelers, University of Alberta

Professor

School of Public Health

University of Alberta

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Published

2015-09-28

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2015): Revue phénEPS-PHEnex Journal

Section

Feature Articles / Articles de fond

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