Integrating Health Education into Teacher Preparation Programs: A Case Study

As in many states, teachers in the state of New Mexico are often called upon to teach or respond to health issues in the classroom. However, efforts to formalize their preparation in this area have often been left to the realm of professional development. This article describes the approaches used to integrate health education into the Teacher Preparation programs at the University of New Mexico. In addition, we will present contextual and professional barriers to integration and specific strategies used to overcome those inherent challenges and several lessons learned from this experience.