The Health Education Action Team (HEAT) is a team of peer health educators that provide peer-to-peer health and wellness education for students. Since 2015 HEAT has served students through educational workshops, presentations, and collaborative workshops on topics like:
- Sleep
- Sexual health
- Healthy relationships
- Alcohol and substance use
- Stress management
- Mental and emotional wellness
- Bystander intervention
HEAT can also help connect students to health and wellness resources on campus and in the community. Find us in Lincoln Park Student Center Suite 302 or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @HealthyDePaul.
If you have any questions or would like more information about HEAT
please email the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness.
2022-2023 Health Education Action Team
2021-2022 Health Education Action Team
Brittney Usoroh I was excited to join the HEAT team because I thought that it would expose me to the world of health program development and would allow me to learn more about healthy relationships and safe sex practices. During my time on the HEAT team, I’ve been given the opportunity to spearhead projects like the HPW Winter Reads club, Sex in the Dark, and a Domestic Violence prevention campaign. I've also worked alongside other DePaul offices and organizations to work on initiatives like SEEDS and the You, Me, We Program. Being a part of the HPW health education team has given me a community and family that I hope to continue to grow with!
Peter Wild Crea My experience as a HEAT Peer Health Educator (PHE) provided me with a really unique opportunity to not only learn skills that have prepared me for a career in public health and medicine but to also apply those skills every day to help promote health and wellbeing in my community. While I’ve learned a great deal about many different areas of health and wellness, being on the alcohol and other drugs committee has given me the opportunity to specialize in an area that really interests me on a physiologic, psychologic and social level. In this role, I have been able to be the lead facilitator for our CHOICES workshops and develop events and programs for students who are in recovery from substance use such as study drugs. In addition to gaining really valuable and directly applicable skills as a PHE, I’ve come to be good friends with all of my coworkers, and they’ve made coming to work each day something I look forward to and enjoy.
Summer McDaniel
As a HEAT member I hoped to develop my facilitation and public speaking skills, but I ended up learning so much more. I have built bonds with my team members and have been able to further develop my communication, person-first, and listening skills. Being a HEAT member has allowed me to learn communication skills, but it also taught me how to be an advocate for survivors and people in recovery which I have done through leading Collegiate Recovery Community. It also taught me very valuable skills like person-first language, which has helped me be more mindful about how stigma can be communicated through language. My HEAT team experience has completely changed my life and it has helped me become prepared for my future career in the mental health field. I am grateful that the staff at HPW allowed me to use my graphic design background and support the team as the Social Media Lead where I strategically plan and create digital marketing and communication materials. Every day I feel lucky to work with and learn from amazing staff and teammates at HPW.
Wynante Charles Being a peer health educator on the Health Education Action Team (HEAT) has allowed me to grow personally and professionally in ways I did not expect. I discovered my passion for public health and gained confidence in public speaking, problem-solving, and managing various projects and initiatives while gaining a wealth of knowledge and experiences. I have also met amazing people who have made my time at DePaul more fulfilling. I am so grateful for the life lessons, connections, and skills that I have acquired as part of the HEAT team. The HPW staff and team members have been consistent sources of support, compassion, and understanding. Whether it was during my time as a Peer Health Educator, facilitating workshops and engaging with fellow students, or as the Student Coordinator, tipping my toes into the more logistical and leadership side of HPW.
Join HPW by becoming a Health Ambassador
Our Health Ambassadors are an important part of our office. They help us share the message of our Take Care DePaul culture: Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each Other and Take Care DePaul. They are social media enthusiasts and event volunteers that care deeply about creating a culture of health and wellness and empowering their peers to actively care for their holistic selves on a daily basis. Applications to be a Health Ambassador with HPW are accepted on a rolling basis. You may submit your application here, during anytime of the year. Once you submit your application, please email hpw@depaul.edu to let us know that you have submitted your application so we can respond ASAP.
I want to become a HPW Health Ambassador