Check out the websites some schools have created for their peer counseling program:
Glades Middle School
Silver Trail Middle School
Sunrise Middle School
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The mission of Peer Counseling is to develop and enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of our youth by focusing on peer education through a comprehensive program and curriculum that encompasses social and emotional skills and awareness, peer mediation, academic opportunity, student service and referral.The core of the peer counseling program is a strong academic middle and high school curriculum which addresses skill building in communication, problem solving and decision making. It also addresses a multitude of social, individual, school and family concerns.
Through careful selection and training, peer counselors increase the likelihood that appropriate help can be received by requesting persons. The focus of the curriculum is preventative. A variety of intervention strategies are employed, however, to educate and motivate students or to involve trained professionals, when needed. The results can be a more positive and safer school climate, healthier students and staff with lower stress levels, and a better utilization of school and community resources.
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What is Peer Counseling?
Peer counseling is an elective middle and high school class that provides a full range of services to students, the school and innovative zones through structured in school and outreach activities. Peer Counselors are a cross-section of students who act as peer supporters and active listeners for their fellow students. The course curriculum focuses on life skills and prevention. It addresses a multitude of social, individual, school and family concerns and has a focus on violence and substance abuse prevention issues. In addition to helping their peers with individual concerns, the peer counselors provide a variety of other services. They act as conflict mediators and peer tutors, provide classroom presentations on teen issues, welcome new students and promote violence prevention, which includes anti-bullying programs.
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Peer Counseling at Work
BCPS and NSU Tobacco Prevention Partnership Shines
In partnership with Broward County Public School, on Friday, November 1st, 2013, Nova Southeastern University Medical Students presented tobacco prevention to our district’s middle school students. With 79 NSU Tobacco Prevention teams presenting throughout the district, over 15,000 students were impacted on the dangers of tobacco use and abuse.
Silver Lakes Is “No Place for Hate!”
Silver Lakes Middle School is the first Broward County school to receive the recognition “No Place For Hate” for two consecutive years! The Peer Counselors have worked very hard and are still going strong. Bright banners are hung proudly throughout the school and they were also awarded a beautiful trophy. Congratulations to Susan Goldfarb, the Silver Lakes Peer Counseling Coordinator, your hard work and dedication to your school and students is remarkable!
Celebrating Red Ribbon Week
Peer Counseling Programs celebrate Red Ribbon Week 2013!
Peace Week at Pompano Beach High School
To some it’s just a week. But to us, the week of September 19th is a weeklong platform for life-saving activities around the world and an opportunity for individuals – particularly young people – to create peace in Broward County.
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Peer Counseling Program Operation and Design
Through classroom instruction, role-playing and skill building activities, peer counselors are trained to help their fellow students. Requests for program services from administrators, teachers, students, school resource officers, counselors, parents and others are made to the program coordinator who assigns skilled and knowledgeable peer counselors to offer their assistance. In addition to working with students individually and in groups, the peer counselors provide a variety of other services. They act as conflict mediators and peer tutors, assist special groups or classes within the school and the zone, provide classroom presentations, welcome new students and promote special projects.
The peer counseling curriculum is designed as a two semester middle school and six semester high school course with prerequisite screening and testing required at every level. This course is an elective class that provides a full range of services to students, the school and innovative zone through structured in-school and outreach activities. A peer counseling program is in every middle and high school in the Broward County Public Schools.
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Peer Counseling Websites
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Want To Learn More?
Contact the Peer Counseling Program Coordinator at 754-321-1655.
