WASHINGTON, D. C. – The Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce New Jersey Department of Health Daycares, Schools and Higher Education (NJDOH) will be awarded the Health Education Technology Innovation Award during the 2025 Annual Conference in Long Beach, April 16-18.
“The availability of awards like SOPHE’s Health Education Technology Innovation Award highlights the value of nationally innovative health education projects, and we are truly honored to receive this year’s award,” said Amy Nichols, health educator on the Daycares, Schools, and Higher Education (DSH) Team. “We are proud to leverage technology to demonstrate our public health education practices that make learning important health messages easy and accessible to all.”
This award recognizes individuals or groups who have distinguished themselves by applying innovative, non-commercial technology in health education.
The NJDOH DSH Team prioritizes collaboration, education, and training to strengthen public health and minimize infectious disease transmission in daycares, schools, and higher education institutions. One of their key initiatives, Eddie Goes to Daycare, is a children’s book created for students ages 2-8. The book uses rhyming text, colorful imagery, a 20-second handwashing sing-along, and a Find Gus the Germ activity to teach students how to stay healthy and safe.
“Empowering individuals to make decisions that lead to healthier lives is paramount to our department’s mission of protecting public health,” said Nichols. “Eddie Goes to Daycare is an accessible resource available on YouTube, allowing students of various ages and backgrounds and their families to engage with public health education from their classrooms, homes, or on-the-go.”
To increase accessibility, the team created an animated e-book version of Eddie Goes to Daycare, further expanding its reach to diverse communities.
“This award highlights the use of technology as an effective medium to widely disseminate public health education and practices,” Nichols added. “NJDOH continues to emphasize the importance of engaging communities with purposeful public health education and innovative strategies to reach a wide range of stakeholders. We appreciate SOPHE for recognizing the value of these strategies.”
SOPHE will present all awards and scholarships to public health professionals, health education researchers, faculty, programs, and practitioners at the 2025 SOPHE Annual Conference. These awards and scholarships recognize significant advancements in the profession of health education and health promotion and outstanding contributions of veterans and rising stars to improving the public’s health.
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About SOPHE
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education, and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe. SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state, and federal government agencies. For more information visit www.sophe.org.
