Students Becoming Teachers - HIP Club Spotlight
by Khailah White, Junior, iPreparatory Academy
by Khailah White, Junior, iPreparatory Academy
Who They Are
Health Information Project, or “HIP” for short, is a nonprofit organization founded in Miami, Florida. HIP is an outreach program with an aim to train highschool juniors and seniors to deliver safe and updated health education to their freshmen peers. According to a biography on the HIP website, the executive director of HIP, Risa Berrin, who started writing for the Miami Herald and graduated from law school at the University of Miami saw firsthand the potential the impact juveniles could have on education. During her time in law school she became a court-appointed advocate for children who are abused, neglected, or abandoned, giving her insight into the abuse that runs rampant through our community. Risa Berrin believed that no matter one’s situation, people need reliable information and resources.
To combat this problem, Berrin started HIP to bring reliable information and resources to young people. The idea is for high school students to learn about mental and physical health to train young high school students on issues. Her idea is that there is a respect formed when information flows from student to student instead of listening to adults “preach” to adolescents.
|
To combat this problem, Berrin started HIP to bring reliable information and resources to young people. The idea is for high school students to learn about mental and physical health to train young high school students on issues. Her idea is that there is a respect formed when information flows from student to student instead of listening to adults “preach” to adolescents.
What They Do
HIP empowers the upperclassmen of different Miami schools to deliver information to their freshman peers. According to the “Who We Are” section of the website: “The Health Information Project creates high school campuses that are safe, supportive, and inclusive.” The goal of HIP is to make sure no kid feels alone on their school campus.
Every other Friday, for two hours from 1PM to 3PM, the Peer Health Educators (also known as PHE’s) do a full script reading on the topic of the week, so they’re ready to present. The topics range from information about eating disorders, sexual identity, and mental health. Additionally, HIP presentations include the resources available to students at school, as well, such as teachers, counselors, and outside organizations. The faculty sponsor, Ms. Gelber, also aids the PHE’S with training and learning the material.
H.I.P at iPrep Academy: Once part of HIP, how are the students trained?
The Impact of HIP
The “Our Impact” section of the website details that HIP has partnered with over 85 highschools across Miami-Dade County and Broward County (the 4th and 6th largest school districts in the country). HIP has trained over 12,500 eleventh and twelfth grade peer health educators and has taught over 260,000 ninth grade students. Ninety five percent of teachers have said that HIP improves the 9th graders' experience while contributing in a positive way to the climate of the school.
Melany Rodriguez, 12th grade and Vice President of HIP at iPrep, explains that one of the highlights of her current position is seeing the positive impact that HIP has on the freshman. She enjoys being the Vice President because when she was experiencing the HIP presentations as a 9th grader some of the topics she learned from the PHEs related to her and gave her information that she used in her life
|
HIP, as an organization, intends to have the same impact on all freshman: for students to gain knowledge and mentorship from upperclassmen, and to learn skills that will help them have a positive influence in their school and lives. If you consider yourself a leader who is empathetic and understanding, joining HIP may be a fitting program to consider joining.