Welcome!

Dear HEALers:

I look forward to meeting you this Friday afternoon at the Surrey campus (SUR 5100) for our HEAL beginnings.

The first course shall provide a theoretical and practical framework for the program.  In doing so, it will be a collectively-generated framework, drawing upon course readings, seminars, and related activities, and providing ample space for the exploration of your own health education and active living interests.

The intention is to explore individual renditions of health, wellness, vitality and activity as related to social affordances (which include the social determinants).  Along the way we will address pedagogy and curriculum as relational and socially/culturally inscribed ways of bringing individual experience to bear upon health promotion for others.

I'll unpack that last statement at our first class.  Suffice it to say, for the moment, that the course textbooks are reflective of this challenging course and HEAL program intention.

In preparation for our meeting, I ask that you look over the attached articles.  It is not necessary to study them in detail.  Just peruse them as backdrop reading material for our initial consideration of 'the meaning of health' and the ways in which we can view health education.  And if you wish to glance ahead further, look at the introductory pp. 7-19 of the 'Peak Vitality' text and chapters 1 and 2 of Raphael's 'Social determinants of health.'

Our first class will be fairly 'soft' as we get to know one another, establish expectations and responsibilities, answer concerns and, in general, create a rhythm and tone for the course.  I realize that quite a few of you have been away from formal, academic work for some time and that starting a masters program probably carries some trepidation.  Rest assured, we (and I speak for the team that reviewed your program applications) are very excited by what each of you bring to the HEAL MEd in terms of formal and informal studies, work experience and specific areas of interest in health education and health practices.  Part of our work this semester will be to assist you in finding your academic feet.

Cheers!