Enhancing the Peer-to-Peer Experience

When I started my career at Dana Hall School eight years ago, I was not initially involved with the Peer Education program. After my first year observing, actively listening, and participating in the Athletics, Health, and Wellness Department, I wanted to become more involved in the student experience. The best place to start was with a group of juniors and seniors who were trained throughout the year to teach social-emotional skills to grades 5 through 9.

Originally the goal of the Peer Education program was to prepare students to lead peer-to-peer discussions around topics such as body positivity, mental health, healthy friendships, and digital responsibility during the eight weeks they were scheduled to teach. While the main goal of the group continues, the student peer educators expressed they wanted to impact the Dana Hall community beyond just the classroom.

I began to witness the peer educators increasing their community presence in a significant way at the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year. The Co-Heads at the time, S. Lagarde ’21 and Z. Szeman ’21, came to our weekly planning meetings with ideas and the desire to do more. They began by dividing the Peer Educators into sub-committees. The committees were responsible for specific outreach areas. This year, the current Co-Heads, G. Funes ’22 and E. Moss ’22, expanded those original committees to include the areas of boarding/day student life, social media outreach, community events, and a bridge to the Middle School. All peer educators selected an area of interest that they will contribute to throughout the school year and outside of their teaching classrooms.

In October 2020, the Peer Ed Co-Heads attended the Georgetown Day School Summit on Sexual Assault and Consent. During this phenomenal student-led conference, the peer educators were inspired and realized that they could take on more ownership and responsibility during our annual health and wellness event, Ship Day. For the first time since I began working with them, the peer educators were responsible for brainstorming a keynote speaker, leading debrief sessions, and directing the day’s events. Since the philosophy of Peer Education is peer-to-peer discussions, they agreed that the main culminating event, Ship Day, should also be student-driven. We all know and acknowledge that students gain more out of peer-to-peer interactions over adults sharing the same information.

This year’s first Peer Ed training continued on the path the previous year began. The entire two-hour event was led by the Co-Heads and volunteers. The Co-Heads organized and executed a thought-out evening dedicated to community building and self-reflection. The student volunteers, P. Frechette ’22, J. Meares-Garcia ’22, and S. Cook ’22, led the entire group through an exercise titled “How Diverse is my Universe?” that they experienced in their Social Studies class with their teacher Eric Goodson. After the activity, the peer educators engaged in thoughtful conversations surrounding how their “universes” impact their experiences and perspectives and how they challenge their assumptions and reveal their blind spots. I am impressed and inspired by this group of students.

As we begin the new school year, I am thrilled and encouraged by the peer educators. They continue to inspire me and to show how effective and important the work we do is for our students.