Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Arrington, Andrea Casas Author's Email Address andrea.arrington@gmail.com URN etd-04102006-022838 Title Designing a Theory Based Public Health Curriculum for Secondary School Students Degree Master of Public Health Program Behavioral and Community Health Sciences School Graduate School of Public Health Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Robert M. Goodman, PhD, MPH, MA Committee Chair Joanne Nicoll, PhD Committee Member Martha Ann Terry, BA, MA, PhD Committee Member Seunghyun Yoo, DrPH, MPH Committee Member Keywords
- Transtheoretical Model
- Diffusion of Innovations
- Social Ecological Model
- Five Stages of Entree
- Collaboration
- Social Cognitive Theory
- Interdepence Theory
Date of Defense 2006-04-19 Availability unrestricted Abstract During a two-year term as an admissions counselor, I had the opportunity to interview over 60students at Armand Hammer United World College (UWC) of the American West in
Montezuma, New Mexico. I learned that the internationally diverse population of secondary
students there and at ten other UWCs across the globe were united under the UWC mission: to
become responsible citizens, politically and environmentally aware, and committed to the ideals of peace and justice, understanding and cooperation, and the implementation of these ideals
through action and personal example. All that I learned, combined with personal aspirations to a
career in public health and an interest in helping young people reach their potential, led me to set
a goal of some day teaching public health to UWC students, and students with a similar sense of
purpose at other schools. This thesis addresses my aspirations as it presents a public health
curriculum that could be applied to the UWC movement.
Within the thesis, I summarize existing public health curricula that target youth; describe
theories and concepts that demonstrate the importance of public health curricula for adolescents;
present my current progress in creating a partnership with the United World Colleges, basing the
discussion in community development concepts; consider project limitations and devise
strategies that may drive the collaboration process forward in the future; outline the curriculum development process; and present the preliminary course. This work is of great public health
significance because existing and future public health issues the world over require the most creative, culturally sensitive professionals for solutions. I argue that the future professionals best
suited to tackle such an important task are the adolescents of the present because they stand in a
unique position to realize their potential as individuals, family and community members,
citizens, and future leaders in their chosen vocations. Investing in the public health education of adolescents is a health intervention we can all participate in and benefit from with dividends to
spare.
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