Listen Before You Speak: Health Comms 101

Why is it so hard to get people to wash their hands? Eat vegetables? Get vaccinated?

Find out in this interactive roleplay, where you’ll take on the identity of a fictional character in the town of Smalltown, Georgia. When an outbreak strikes, you’ll join the health department in navigating the many misconceptions and challenges that stop people from getting vaccinated. By the end of the session, you’ll outline a vaccination campaign…but will people be convinced?

I developed and taught this workshop to college students at the 2023 Emory Scholars Retreat. It introduces students to the basic principles of health communications, including one of its most important skills: listening to your audience.

Here is everything you need to run this workshop for a group of 25 people.