WED-032 - Navigating Difficult Waters: Teaching JEDI in Ways That Transform Health

Brief Abstract Summary: Faculty are preparing future health education specialists to meet the national health education competencies for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Given the current political challenges and ways colleges and universities are choosing to meet them, it has become difficult, in some cases, to teach public health education students about JEDI topics. Researchers will share results from focus groups conducted between October 2024 and February 2025 which prioritized the evolution of JEDI teaching practices in the current political landscape. Twenty-one faculty participated in five focus groups of which JEDI-related pedagogy, student participation and responses, and federal and state laws were discussed, as well as how faculty navigated any obstacles in the classroom. Results will be shared as implications for practice and pedagogy, as well as ways college and university faculty can navigate politics and professional standards to transform health through education.

Detailed abstract description: Public health education and promotion faculty across the United States are preparing the next generation of health education specialists to meet the national health education competencies for social justice, health equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). These national competencies come from three places: Health Education Responsibilities and Competencies from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing; The Domains from the Council on Education for Public Health; and, the Health Education Code of Ethics from the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations. Given the current political challenges and ways colleges and universities are choosing to meet them, it has become difficult, in some cases, to teach health education students about JEDI topics, yet learning about and engaging in JEDI-related competencies are still requirements for both accreditation in public health and certification of health education specialists. Faculty must tackle these challenges head on in order to change perspectives in ways that can transform health through education.

In this presentation, researchers will share results from focus groups conducted between October 2024 and February 2025, during which many issues were discussed. Twenty-one faculty participated in five different focus groups. They came from 10 different states; the majority were from public institutions (n=14; 70%), half were working in CEPH accredited programs (n=10; 50%), 50% (n=10) taught a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students, and the majority (n=17; 85%) did not require the CHES or CPH exams for degree conferral purposes.

Questions about classroom lessons related to JEDI and how students responded (verbally and non-verbally) to the material were asked and suggestions will be discussed. In the focus groups, participants were also asked to describe laws in their states that impacted the way they teach about health equity and any guidance their institutions have given them regarding what words they can use and what they can and cannot teach. Participants were also asked to share any changes that took place in the last 3-5 years that made it harder to collaborate with others for instructional purposes and how they have worked to overcome the challenges. Finally, respondents discussed changes they have (or have not) made related to how they discuss JEDI in the classroom and how students have responded during these lessons. Results will be shared as implications for practice and pedagogy, as well as ways college and university health education faculty can navigate the precarious situation of politics and meeting professional standards. Suggestions for educating students about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in ways that can transform both attitudes and health will be discussed.