Project EXPORT (Export in Partnerships for Community Outreach)

Provides National HIV/AIDS Education

And Prevention Instructor Certification

Dr. Russell Bennett provides an overview of the workshop to students.

Seven graduate students and three staff from the School of Health Sciences, College of Public Service, have completed the African-American HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Instructor Training Program. The program objectives were to (1) equip individuals with the ability to give African-Americans sound, reality-based information to build HIV prevention skills and increase self-protective behaviors and (2) to train individuals to facilitate factual, nonjudgmental and culturally appropriate HIV prevention education sessions in the communities. This was a three-day (24 hours) instructor training program in African-American HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Upon completion of the program, individuals became authorized and certified as African-American/Basic HIV/AIDS Instructors. This American Red Cross-sponsored program is one of the few HIV/AIDS Prevention/Intervention programs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes and authorizes.

The African-American HIV/AIDS Program reflects the educational objectives of the Basic HIV/AIDS Program and includes culture-specific teaching strategies and HIV prevention skills building activities designed to help instructors reach African-American audiences more effectively. Instructors are awarded two certifications - in African-American HIV AIDS Education and Basic HIV/AIDS Education Programs.

Activities were organized and coordinated by Dr. Russell Bennett, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. Dr. Sophia Leggett, Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral and Environmental Health, and Center of Excellence in Minority Health Training Core Director, authorized and supervised the program. Drs. Bennett and Leggett are certified instructors. Mr. Earl Nupsius Benjamin, B.A., M.A., Statewide Public Health Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Program, American Red Cross, taught the course.

Students and staff receiving dual certification included: Sridevi Alla, Margaret Amenuke, Zundra Bateaste, Lynette Ekunwe, Andrea Gibson, Tabeth Jiri, Karakala Sudharshanam, all M.P.H. students, and social work doctoral student Charles Birore, and former staff members Bernadette Knight and Sonja Wiggins.

Communiqué Magazine • Winter 2006 - Spring 2007