As we wrap up another program year, Bay Area is excited about the impact we have had in the communities we serve. We have trained 209 college health educators to teach 854 workshops, reaching 2,700 ninth grade students across 15 high schools. Below are a few reflections from health educators about their experiences in the classroom.
“After asking students if they wanted to share or define some of the gender and sexual orientation terms,” Mary Joy Crabajales, a Cal State East Bay health educator reported, “One student was able to define them all. Having her know the terms made me feel happy that she and other students are aware.”
“Today our topic was about mental health. I did my best to go deeper with the subject matter because my students generally expressed feeling really comfortable discussing mental health,” Nora Spalholz, a San Francisco State health educator stated.
“After the workshop one of my students approached me and said he wanted to talk about something, but he didn’t know how. I asked a few open-ended questions and he began talking about how he generally feels really isolated and lonely, and he’s not sure how to make friends. He feels pretty isolated at home too. I listened, reflected what I heard, and validated his feelings. The host teacher joined me in validating him and told him about a social group meeting on campus, as well as counseling services that the school offers. They said they could refer him to counseling. I think the student left feeling supported and heard. I felt honored that he opened up to me about this, and I was struck by his bravery in being vulnerable like that.” she added.