Adapting the One Health Core Competency Course for High Schools: A Step Towards Holistic Health
The project, 'Adapting and Piloting the One Health Core Competency Course for High Schools,' was officially launched on October 26, 2023, in the Yupa Weeravaidya Room at Kasetsart University. This event marked a significant milestone for the project, which involves ten participating high schools, project facilitators, support from Chevron, and collaboration with the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN). The primary goal of this project is to empower high school students with knowledge and skills related to health and sustainability. It aspires to cultivate a new generation of One Health leaders who possess scientific expertise and collaborative life skills. The project places a strong emphasis on the practical implementation of the learning model, encourages teacher development through student leaders as role models, and promotes a mindset that values cooperation and essential life skills for personal and professional growth.
The event commenced with a warm welcome from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laddawan Puangchit, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kasetsart University, who commended the project's progress and the promising fusion of hard and soft skills, emphasizing the potential expansion of the One Health concept throughout the ASEAN system.
Dr. Vipat Kuruchittham, Executive Director of SEAOHUN, expressed the project's ambition to extend its reach to high schools across Thailand and beyond in the Asian region. He acknowledged Chevron's support and the collaboration of school administrators.
Mr. Sakchai Sae-Seai, Vice President of Strategy, Business Performance, and Commercial at Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production Ltd., highlighted Chevron's commitment to holistic health and health security for individuals and farmers across Thailand. He praised the project's efforts in promoting knowledge about the health benefits for people, animals, and the environment.
Kasetsart University's Faculty of Education has developed a groundbreaking course designed to equip undergraduates with One Health Core Competencies (OHCCs). These encompass One Health knowledge, collaboration and partnership, communication and information, leadership, systems thinking, planning and management, and culture and ethics. These competencies are recognized as essential skills that every student should possess. Given the undeniable importance of these competencies, Kasetsart University opened the course as a general education offering, available for any undergraduate to choose. The response exceeded expectations, with more students registering for the course than the Faculty of Education could accommodate.
In collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the Faculty of Veterinary Technology and the Faculty of Environment, the Faculty of Education is gearing up to adapt this transformative course for upper high school students, specifically targeting Grades 10 through 12. The objective is to customize the curriculum for high school students and pilot the course at selected schools in Bangkok, Thailand. The project aims to introduce these One Health Core Competencies to high school students at an age where they can genuinely grasp and apply these skills, laying the foundation for future leaders in health and sustainability.
The event was not just a kick-off; it symbolized the initial step toward a future where young minds are equipped with the knowledge and skills to champion holistic health. With Chevron's support and the dedication of project facilitators and school administrators, this program has the potential to promote One Health education. It also marks the beginning of a journey toward a brighter, healthier future for the next generation, where the importance of health competencies is acknowledged and embraced from an early age. The ongoing efforts and adaptability of the project promise to have a lasting impact on health education in Thailand and beyond.
