Celebrating 40 years of peer education
Health, Safety, and Well-being
July 20, 2015
In 1975, the Dean of Students at the University of Florida, Dr. Tom Goodale hired Gerardo Gonzalez as a graduate student, charging him with the task of developing a collegiate-based alcohol education program. This is cited as the first flicker of creation for what has become a significant part of the history of student affairs, the creation of BACCHUS.
BACCHUS – which originally stood for Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students – was not the first time students had engaged their peers in health and safety dialogue, but its inception did mark the creation of a replicable peer education program model that propagated to colleges and universities. A model which still persists today.
As we look forward to celebrating 40 years of peer education at the 2015 BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA General Assembly, we want to reflect on the path that peer education has taken these past four decades.
The Initial Impact: Increasing Support for Peer Education Programs
Two years after the BACCHUS model’s implementation, the University of Florida receives a grant from the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services to establish alcohol resource centers at state universities. BACCHUS chapters begin at all of the state universities in Florida. The very next year, national attention was drawn to the model, and the University of Florida was inundated by calls from across the country on how to start a BACCHUS Chapter.
Rising Student Involvement and the National Peer Education Conference
By 1980, BACCHUS incorporates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, with Gerardo Gonzalez becoming BACCHUS’ first president. Just over 100 college students from across the country gather at the University of Florida for the first national peer education conference, BACCHUS General Assembly.
BACCHUS continues to support those topics which resonate with most peer education groups, releasing tools for addressing underage drinking prevention, alcohol poisoning response, tobacco prevention and policy control, sexual health and responsibility, safe spring break, and impaired driving prevention.
Beyond Alcohol Prevention: Incorporating Sexual, Mental, and Physical Health Education
In the decade to follow, more than 300 peer education groups are established, including Greek Life-specific peer education groups who identify as GAMMA groups. While GAMMA – Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol – continues BACCHUS’ traditional focus on alcohol prevention, more and more peer education groups begin to expand the focus of peer education. It becomes common for peer educators to begin discussing sexual health, mental health, and physical health.
Professionalizing Peer Education: Training Programs for Peer Educators
As peer education groups grew, so grew the need to support peer educators. At the General Assembly in St. Louis in 1990, more than 500 participants attended, eager to share what worked effectively on their campus, and thirsty to take home new information to improve the impact of their work.
Peer educators and their professional staff advisors craved methods for professionalizing the practice of peer education. This need led to the creation of the Certified Peer Education training program in 1994. The program gave peer educators a foundational level skill set that enabled them to effectively communicate with, mentor, and help educate other students.
Financial Support for Peer-Led Sexual Health and Tobacco Prevention Programs
Federal grants are conferred to BACCHUS from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for sexual health and tobacco prevention work being done by peer educators on campuses. By 1998, BACCHUS is considered a source for subject matter expertise and is particularly lauded for including student voice in all of its health and safety efforts.
Expanding the Focus of Peer Education: From Binge Drinking to Driver Safety
The topics student peer educators address greatly exceed the original focus of BACCHUS, with peer education groups using the BACCHUS model to dive deep into health, safety, and related topics. However, BACCHUS continues to support those topics which resonate with most peer education groups, releasing tools for addressing underage drinking prevention, alcohol poisoning response, tobacco prevention and policy control, sexual health and responsibility, safe spring break, and impaired driving prevention.
Establishing the BACCHUS Network and Certified Peer Education Training Program
In 2005, recognizing that the topical nature of peer education has expanded, the Board of Trustees changed the association’s name to The BACCHUS Network, giving a greater sense of camaraderie across topical conversations and better representing the over 100 materials being provided to peer education groups at over 700 campuses.
The Certified Peer Education training program was revised in 2008, with a dedicated force of students and professional volunteers improving the model, which becomes even more popular. By 2010, over 100,000 peer educators have been certified with the CPE curriculum.
BACCHUS Today: A Part of the NASPA Family
At the 2013 BACCHUS General Assembly in Reston, Virginia, peer educator student delegates vote on a proposition made by the BACCHUS Board of Trustees: for The BACCHUS Network association to become part of NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The vote on November 16, 2013 is unanimous, and the BACCHUS Board of Trustees meets the following day, joined by founders Tom Goodale and Gerardo Gonzalez to move BACCHUS on to the next chapter of peer education as the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA.
This year’s BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA General Assembly will revisit Reston, Virginia to celebrate this robust history. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of peer education history.
Update: Join us to celebrate over 40 years of peer education at the 2016 BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA General Assembly; a prime opportunity to energize students, motivate advisors, and re-commit to making peer education and student health a campus priority.