Students SOAR (Study Abroad * Out of the Classroom * Applied Course Learnings * Research) with Health and Human Physiology to elevate their academic resume with experiential learning. Experiential learning provides opportunities to turn theory into practice while building confidence, connections, and collaborations.

Starting in Fall 2020, Health and Human Physiology started the course, Guided Worksite Wellness Practicum through the Community Health Teaching Center where students provide health education outreach to community members and businesses.  Erin Litton, Internship Director and Lecturer, takes the students through the development and implementation of a health behavior intervention and a menu of wellness presentations to support education and awareness. In Fall 2020, students created a five-week intervention “Get Your Head in the Game” to support mental well-being through health behaviors.

Planning for Spring 2021 is underway where students are creating a five-week program on resilience.

In Fall 2020, a unique collaboration of students in Health Communication and Coaching partnered with liveWELL, the UI Faculty and Staff wellness program to create a three-week wellness program, November 9-November 29, 2020 called “Living with Purpose”. The semester-long student project was designed to help build resilience skills for our campus community, focusing on finding a sense of purpose at work and at home. Students were tasked with planning and preparing a deliverable product to be used on campus. Content included designing a logo, promotional videos, weekly emails, a creative goal tracking sheet, and social media content. A website was developed to house content: https://hr.uiowa.edu/living-purpose. 682 employees actively participated in Living with Purpose. 86% participants reported that they agree that their personal well-being was improved.

Spring 2021 students in Health Communication and Coaching will partner with Student Wellness to provide a 4-week wellness program on stress management.