College students trained on the importance of preconception health and community-based organizations will come together for a two-day workshop September 6th and 7th to develop strategies to have successful Campus/Community Partnerships and develop a Collaborative Task Force for Infant Mortality Prevention.

The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, University of North Florida and U.S. DHHS Office of Minority Health are hosting the free two-day training.

The Preconception Peer Educator training is part of the Office of Minority Health’s “A Healthy Baby Begins With You” campaign, which began in 2007. The purpose of the program is to enlist college students as peer educators not only on college campuses but also in the community at large, to help disseminate essential preconception health messages.

More than 50 students from Edward Waters College, the University of North Florida, JobCorps and Chamberlain College of Nursing were trained in September 2011. Several other groups of students are participating in trainings this month.

Jacksonville is one of four pilot sites participating in a follow-up workshop designed to facilitate partnerships between the PPE programs and community-based organizations serving youth. The goal is to help organizations take advantage of PPEs as they think about potential community projects.

Find out more at http://nefhealthystart.org/ppe.