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Directory University of Florida

SHIP: School health interdisciplinary program

The School Health Interdisciplinary Program, or SHIP, is affiliated with the Department of Health Education and Behavior.  School Health Education is a discipline that focuses on the health and social factors that influence educational success, increase attendance rates, and decrease school dropout.

Our Impact

The School Health Interdisciplinary Program is affiliated with the Department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida.  School Health Education is a discipline that focuses on the health and social factors that influence educational success, increase attendance rates, and decrease school dropout. According to Healthy Schools Campaign and Trust for America’s Health (2012), effective school health initiatives have the capacity to benefit all students in a school by addressing barriers to learning.  Through participation with the SHIP program, students learn about relevant health topics, including self-esteem, stress management, bullying prevention, drug use prevention, injury prevention, nutrition, and physical activity. Educating students about health and empowering them to make healthy choices allows students to thrive.

The mission of the School Health Interdisciplinary Program is to engage graduate and undergraduate student volunteers to contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for elementary-aged youth by developing, implementing and evaluating effective school health curriculum.

– Our Mission

Our Goals

The goals of the School Health Interdisciplinary Program include teaching and mentoring elementary school students, motivating students to engage in health promoting behaviors, and facilitating academic success.  The curriculum covers several critical health topics, including self-esteem, stress management, bullying prevention, drug use prevention, injury prevention, nutrition, and physical activity.

Application Process

The SHIP volunteer application cycle has closed. Please check back in January 2026 to submit your application.

Membership

Any UF student from varied disciplines of study may apply to join the SHIP crew!  Through the interdisciplinary aspect of this program and its UF student volunteers, we work to enhance youths’ resiliency by providing the circumstances to develop cognitive and behavioral assets to help overcome adversity, and the resources to create opportunity structures for youth development. This opportunity provides UF students a chance to make a difference in the children and youth of Alachua County and to provide mentorship for students in need.  Student volunteers will serve elementary students for approximately 3 hours per week and will earn up to 25 hours total per semester.  UF student volunteers spend 30 minutes teaching the specific health topic using direct instruction and the remaining time is spent outdoors encouraging outdoor physical activity. During the first few weeks of each semester, the volunteer application opens and we welcome ALL University of Florida students to volunteer!

Executive Board Members

  • Executive Director: Chelsea Chappell, PhD, CHES
  • President: Sophia Silver
  • Vice President: Alexa Katz
  • Secretary: Natalie Miller
  • Treasurer: Jiliian Vinci
  • Curriculum Director: Marisol Alvarez Builla
  • Faculty Sponsor: Chelsea Chappell, PhD, CHES (HEB), Holly T. Moses, PhD, CHES (HEB)

Resources