Saint Paul's School for Girls

11232 Falls Road

Brooklandville, MD 21022

Contact:

Beth Nichols

enichols@spsfg.org

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Program Summary

The Christopher O’Neil Peer Education Program

2005 marks the 10th year that St. Paul’s School for Girls (SPSG) has participated in the Peer Education Program. Each year, approximately 20 upper class students (10-12th graders) are trained as Peer Educators to work with our 6th grade. Once a month, the teams of Peer Educators (3-4 per team) teach a lesson to the 6th grade advisory groups- each team works with the same advisory group throughout the year. The lessons they teach include friendship, body image, communication skills and conflict resolution. Every year, the Peer Educators pick a theme that runs though each lesson; for instance for the school year 2004-2005 the theme is Respect.

In addition to working with the 6th grade, our Peer Educators talk with our 7th and 8th grades on occasion. For example, each year in May, the Peer Educators lead a discussion with the 8th grade on transitioning to upper school and upper school social life. They may be called upon to work with the 9th grade too; Peer Educators have taught in the 9th grade health classes about decision-making around social life and social situations.

Peer Educators are selected by the faculty advisors of the Program. They consider all students in 10th through 12 grades and get recommendations from teachers, coaches and administrators. The faculty advisors go through a deliberate, thoughtful process of selection and pick students with different interests, backgrounds and personalities to best serve the needs of the middle school students they teach.