Health Education Specialist

Just like a Public Health Educator or a Health and Wellness Coordinator, a Health Education Specialist educates people on how to take better care of themselves. As a Health Education Specialist, you create programs, give speeches, and write flyers to spread information on all types of health issues.

The health problems a Health Education Specialist works with cover a broad spectrum. You might work with a specific disease, like breast cancer or diabetes, or unhealthy behaviors, like unprotected sex. You might even handle things that aren’t exactly problems but still pose difficulties, like early childhood development or learning disabilities.

The types of programs you put together will depend on the age of the people you want to work with and the type of organization that employs you. Some groups only fight one issue, while others handle many. For example, the American Heart Association won’t have you fighting breast cancer whereas a college health clinic would have you working on everything from eating disorders to binge drinking.

When creating a program, you first need to think of the group you’re trying to reach. Different ages, ethnic backgrounds, and sexes all have different preferences, and you use those to get your message out to the biggest number of people. You might run TV advertisements, put together a health fair, or organize an event complete with celebrities giving their support. You’re in charge of the fundraising efforts for these events too, so you should be comfortable writing grants and asking people for donations.