
Episode #38
Skills Based Health Education
Send us Fan Mail Health class can’t be a one-and-done unit that ends with a multiple-choice test. We sit down with Mary Connolly, program leader at Bay Path University and Cambridge College, to unpack what skills-based health education really looks like when it’s built on the Massachusetts Health and Physical Education Framework and aligned with social emotional learning (SEL). The goal is simple and ambitious: teach students the skills they’ll actually use to navigate pressure, uncertainty, and real-world health decisions. We get concrete about the practices behind the approach, including decision making, self-management and goal setting, communication and relationship skills, analyzing influences, accessing valid and reliable information, and self-advocacy. Mary explains why these skills matter even more in a world shaped by AI, advertising, and nonstop misinformation. We also talk about using Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data to focus limited class time on what students are truly facing, from substance use trends to bullying patterns, mental health indicators like feeling sad or hopeless, and the growing concern of teen gambling. We also dig into implementation: why licensed health educators matter, how districts can strengthen program leadership, and how teachers can plan better lessons using standards language, backward design, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and authentic assessment. If you’ve been wondering how to move from “covering content” to coaching skills students can demonstrate, this conversation will give you a clear path forward. If this helps you rethink health education, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find it. Contact: maconnolly@baypath.edu connolly_mary@hotmail.com Comprehensive Health in MA MAHPERD Membership Thanks for listening! If you picked up a new idea or felt inspired by today’s episode. Please take a moment to follow the show and share it with another educator who’s passionate and let’s keep the conversation going!” I’d love to hear from you and if your interested in being a potential guest on the show; email mahperdpodcast@gmail.com

