Health Educator, Consultant, Puberty Expert, and Author
whose mission is to strengthen the wellness of children, youth, and adults
Lori Reichel, PhD, is a passionate educator with over 30 years of experience working with children, youth, and adults in the field of school health education. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Lori was named National Health Education Professional of the Year in 2010, New York State Health Teacher of the Year in 2007, and New York State Health Professional of the Year in 2011. She currently serves as a full-time faculty member at SUNY Cortland, where she trains future PreK-12 educators in effective, evidence-based health education practices.
Lori’s educational philosophy centers on being student-focused—equipping young people with the life skills and up-to-date health information they need to live their healthiest and happiest lives. While Lori acknowledges that simply presenting health facts in the classroom is easy, she continually challenges herself and her peers with an important question: How can we provide children and youth with the most impactful tools and knowledge for their lives? These tools and facts should be ones that stay with them long after graduation—ones they can share with future generations. Tools that can empower them to lead lives of wellness, foster healthy relationships, and make decisions that affect their well-being for years to come.
In the health education field, skill-based learning—rather than fact-based instruction—is still not the norm. However, research from the past 25 years consistently supports the idea that skill-building has a lasting, positive impact as children transition into adulthood. The skills gained through this approach not only support better health choices but also influence other aspects of life, from romantic and family relationships to parenting, friendships, and career success.
Lori is dedicated to making skill-based health education the standard, not the exception. From her professional and personal experience, she understands that when educators, families, and other professionals work together to touch the hearts and minds of children, it can lead to a generation of young people who are not only comfortable within their bodies but also empowered, strong, and confident. Lori invites you to join her in this mission, one child at a time, to create a healthier, more informed future.
Lori recognizes that it is not too difficult to get in front of a group of children and list off a set of health facts. But how do you give children and youth some of the most important tools and facts of their life? The tools and facts they need to stay with them long after they have grown up? The tools and facts that can set them up for a life of health and happiness and healthy relationships? The tools and facts that can literally mean the difference between wellness and sickness, life and death? And how do you do this in a manner that supports positive values and beliefs?
Lori Reichel knows the answers to these questions. A nationally recognized and innovative health educator, she has successfully provided these tools and facts in age- and developmentally-appropriate ways for almost 30 years.
Her background and experience includes:
- Being trained in best practices as a licensed school health educator and administrator with numerous years experience teaching children and youth in the PreK-12 setting;
- Receiving her PhD in Health Education from Texas A&M University (Research 1 University) in less than 3 years;
- Preparing future school health educators in updated standard-based practices at SUNY Cortland;
- Providing tools to help families and educators talk honestly about sensitive health topics including the Puberty Prof Podcast and TALK Puberty app;
- Authoring Common Questions Children Ask About Puberty, an easy to understand award-winning book that tackles over 500 questions for caregivers and their children;
- Receiving the New York, Eastern Division, and National Teacher/Professional of the Year Health Education Awards;
- Creating and revising health education curricula to be standard-based (ex. all of Chicago Public School’s K-12 Sex Ed curricula within one year);
- Planning, instructing, and assessing skill-based health education;
- Being an expert in how to responsibly teach children and youth all topics related to sensitive topics, including consent and sex education, in an age- and developmentally-appropriate manner;
- Providing assistance for administrators, teachers, and others to strengthen their Whole School Whole Community Whole Child Framework (WSCC);
- Assisting/training educators in backwards design (Understanding by Design) in order to be strong curriculum developers; and
- Collaborating with others to help empower children and youth, as well as their caregivers, to live healthy and happy lives!
Her goals include:
-
Providing tools for families and teachers that increase positive communication and decision making on a variety of health topics.
-
Shifting outdated, fact-focused, lecture-based health education instruction to the student-centered and skill-based approach, while supporting state and National Health Education Standards. This includes helping health teachers and schools update their Sex Ed curriculum.
To learn more about Lori’s projects, please go to these links:
Consent Education – including how Lori can help update or create your child-friendly lessons
Puberty Expert – including “tools” Lori created to help you have positive conversations
The Puberty Prof Podcast – the family-friendly podcast with more episodes being released each season
The TALK Puberty app – the interactive talking “tool” that helps lead your conversations
Common Questions Children Ask About Puberty – the book with over 500 questions children ask about puberty and other growing-up topics