Christopher O'Neil Peer Education Program

Boys' Latin School

822 W. Lake Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21210

Contact:

Tyler Betz

tbetz@boyslatinmd.com

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Training Information

The Boys' Latin Peer Education faculty team believes that part of the training includes preparing the peer educators both emotionally and intellectually to present the lessons. Thus, the training for peer educators not only involves content preparation (e.g., teaching methodology, alcohol and other drug information, etc.) but also focuses on process issues (e.g., experiential learning, reflecting on their own decisions, etc.). If the peer educators are more aware of the processes that affect their decisions, then they will be better prepared to teach younger students about these influences.

In addition, another goal of the training process is to increase the peer educators’ appreciation for the task at hand—educating younger students about a subject matter that is not necessarily cut and dry, making decisions. The peer educators are reminded not to prescribe the decisions for the younger students. The peer educators’ goal is to challenge the attitudes that limit the younger students and to offer healthy options as viable and acceptable ones. An effective peer educator gets the younger students thinking of the options that they have.

Training for the peer educators occurs primarily during the fall semester of each school year. After the peer educators have been invited to join the program, the students and faculty team meet for three half-day in-school training sessions. The two-night retreat follows the half-day sessions. The team leaves for the retreat on a Saturday morning and returns to school on a Monday afternoon.

Within a few weeks of the retreat, the peer educators begin to enter the 6th grade classes in teams of three to present their assigned lessons. The teams are assigned to meet with one faculty meeting for on-going training, supervision, and lesson preparation. During the spring semester, the entire group of peer educators meets with the faculty team once each team has presented its first lesson for review. The final meeting of the year involves a review of the year, evaluation of the training, and recommendations for next year’s peer educators.

Training Session 1

Training Session 2

Training Session 3

Retreat Agenda