Get Involved

Sexual Assault Prevention Peer Health Educators (FIRE; Fighting Ignorance and Rape through Education) are WMU students who are highly trained on educating around the issue of sexual assault and in helping survivors, their families, and friends. Students will have the opportunity to participate in peer education, program/event planning, providing supportive services and other awareness/education activities. The FIRE Place is a resource and support center that addresses the issues of sexual assault and other bias incidents. Bias incidents are those negative things that may happen to us because of who we are (skin color, gender, sexual orientation etc.) FIRE Place Support Staff will receive extensive training in which they will learn how to provide support and function as an advocate for those who have been affected by some form of violence.

Sexual Health Peer Health Educators (Sexperts) are WMU students who are highly trained to educate and advocate around the issue of inclusive and accessible sexual health education. Students will have the opportunity to participate in peer education, presentations, ongoing learning and professional development, programs and event planning, and other educational activities. Sexual health peer educators provide their peers with non-judgmental and inclusive information and with skills needed to make healthier choices about sex and relationships.

Our Mental Health Peer Health Education program (PALS; Powerful Advocates Learning to Support) is a space for students to brainstorm and collaborate on fun and meaningful ways to educate the WMU community about mental wellbeing. Mental Health Peer Educators are highly trained and educated to teach their peers about suicide prevention, how to assess their overall wellness, to engage in healthy coping skills to improve and maintain their mental wellbeing, and to share mental health and wellbeing resources that are available to the WMU community. Mental Health Peer Educators offer their knowledge to the WMU campus community through educational programming such as tabling events, interactive presentations, and partnering with WMU Departments and RSOs in providing wellness programming.

1. Western Michigan University students with certain academic majors and minors may choose to use their work as a Peer Health Educator to fulfill a requirement of their academic program.  This arrangement has been approved by certain departments, as indicated below.
2. Other students may need elective credits for their major or minor or need additional credits to graduate, which they can earn from approved elective courses. In some cases, work as a Peer Educator can be used to fulfill an approved elective (see below).
3. If #1 and #2 above do not apply to you but you need and want general elective credits, you can get credit for being a peer educator by enrolling in FCS 5900 (see below).

If you do this internship for credit, you will need to obtain the appropriate form and approval from the appropriate academic department (not from HPE; Health Promotion and Education). In most cases, an HPE staff member will need to sign it. The completed form is returned to the academic department, and they register you for the relevant course. HPE staff must have a copy of this form as a reminder to submit a grade for you to the department faculty member in charge of the relevant course.

Approval to receive credit for participation in HPE's Peer Education programs is done so at each department’s discretion. Please contact your department for approval to use HPE Peer Education for credit prior to applying to be a peer educator.

College of Education

Education majors or minors may receive credit by enrolling in ED 3980 Independent Studies in Education. Check with your academic advisor to learn whether your major or minor requires elective credits that ED 3980 may be used to fulfill.

Family and Consumer Sciences

Family Studies major with Family Studies emphasis:
Peer education can fulfill FCS 2020 Field Experience requirement, two credit hours.
Peer education can fulfill requirement for related electives, choose FCS 4290 Internship, may register for two to six credit hours total.

Family Studies major with Child Development emphasis:
Peer education can fulfill FCS 2020 Field Experience requirement, two credit hours.
Peer education can fulfill required FCS 4290 Internship, total six credit hours required.
Any student with any major may enroll in FCS 5900 Special Projects for one to three credits and receive credit for becoming a peer educator.

Download the approval form and return it to the FCS administrative office, 3326 Kohrman Hall.

Human Performance and Health Education

School Health majors and Community Health majors: Department requires minimum four credit hours of electives from approved list. Peer education may be used for HPHE 3000 Seminar Series: Health Competencies, two credits per semester, four total.

Lee Honors College

Lee Honors College students may be eligible for credit by enrolling in HNRS 3990 Field Experience. Please see an Honors College advisor for further information.

Nonprofit Leadership Minor

Nonprofit Leadership minors may fulfill their internship requirements by enrolling in PADM 4100. Obtain form and approval from Janice Maatman, director of nonprofit education programs in the School of Public Affairs and Administration.

Psychology

Psychology majors: Peer education can fulfill required three-credit Practicum; enroll in PSY 3970, Practicum in Psychology, for three credits. Peer education can partially fulfill required nine hours of electives; enroll in PSY 3980, Independent Study, for three credits.
Psychology minors: The department requires six hours of electives; three hours of PSY 3970 practicum can substitute for three hours of approved electives.
Obtain form from Department of Psychology undergrad advising office or website.

Sociology

Sociology majors are not required but may choose to do an internship; enroll in SOC 4980 (two to three credits). Obtain form from Dr. Ronald Kramer, Department of Sociology.

School of Communication

Communication majors and minors can get credit for SHPE through COM 3980 Independent Study (no more than three credits). Obtain form from Communication academic advisor.

All departments reserve the right to change or alter course requirements and approval for participation in the sexual health peer education program. Please be sure to contact your department for approval to receive credit prior to applying.