Given the unprecedented conditions we all face as a nation with COVID-19, The Water Well Project postponed all usual face-to-face community health education sessions.
We reformatted our sessions, and our volunteers adapted very quickly too- to provide online health education via Zoom. To start with, our sessions have been on coronavirus, as there has been much fear and misconception around what it is, its transmission and the meaning of all these new governmental restrictions.
Penny, one of our fantastic volunteers, has signed up for 3 of these interactive sessions. So with her experiences, here are some of her tips on facilitating an online health education session on coronavirus.
Five hot tips for facilitating an online health education session (on coronavirus) by Penny:
1. The topic template is a fantastic guide - Use it!
2. Use visuals to keep everyone interested.
Choose those visuals that:
- Demonstrate the key points within the template (i.e. mechanism of transmission, hand hygiene, "flattening the curve", ways to cope with anxiety)
- Have minimal text (as many sessions are run with an interpreter)
3. Be as interactive as you possibly can!
To do this you must:
- Know your audience
- Ask as many questions as possible
- Try to get a feel for people's individual isolation experiences
4. Be sure to discuss mental health - its relevant for everyone.
5. Find and share resources specific to the language of the group (eg) the SBS website has some great translated resources)
