Over the past decades, Vincent Tinto, Edmund Thile, Francis Ianni, and others all link mentoring to better academic performance, improved social adjustment, enhanced academic experiences, and greater rates of degree completion. Even more specifically, Jean E. Rhodes, Renée Spencer, Thomas E. Keller, Belle Liang, and Gil Noam describe three…

"Caring communities" is a great sounding line, but what does it really mean? There are many ways that communities which present themselves as caring make life easier or worse for those who live there. For centuries in Germany, there have been religious groups who claim to care for each member. By definition, this is circumscribed caring…

Peer Resources is at the heart of positive youth development. Trained youth serving in roles such as mentor, tutor, mediator, leader, and educator can change the norms of a school and community. Utilizing people as resources is an important concept to embrace. During the last seven years, peer mentors have reduced the drop-out rate of 16- and…

The Teen Outreach Reproductive CHallenge (TORCH) is a peer education program that provides information on various topics relevant to adolescent sexual health to a diverse audience, ranging from teens to health care providers. This information is disseminated through various projects by a group of New York City high-school students who are…

Describes the successful implementation of the Models at Prevention program in peer counseling in Colorado's Laredo Middle School, including the initial and ongoing training of peer counselors, and the range of tasks assigned to peer counselors. (PGD)

In peer-helping programs, a professional counselor or teacher trains a group of students who then help other students by listening, providing information, and referring them to others with the necessary expertise. Peer helpers can help improve the school climate by contributing to its health and security. Since 1979, Seattle's Natural Helpers…

This document outlines, in detail, the Vocational Readiness Package for young girls, which is a week-long program utilizing simulation games and role-playing, while employing peer group counseling techniques to dramatize the realities concerning women in marriage and careers today. After three years of using this program, the authors have compiled…

Describes a student organization development program composed of undergraduate paraprofessionals who provide services to student organizations. Discusses selection and training of students, service delivery, and populations served. (JAC)

This paper describes a program of free, short-term, individual bereavement counseling for survivors of sudden death in Marin County, California. Co-sponsors are Marin Suicide Prevention Center and Marin County Coroner's Office. Most survivors are initially referred to the program by the coroner at the time of certifying cause of death, others are…

Presents a peer counselling model emphasizing outreach social activities and school community liaison for adolescents. Evaluation of this model according to counsellors' self-reports, and student clients' evaluations indicated that peer counsellors were perceived as highly effective in social leadership, group discussion, and individual…

An advising center staffed by residence hall coordinators at the University of Northern Iowa is described. Major factors for success are identified: awareness of perceptions that facilitate or inhibit establishment of advisory roles, definition of responsibilities, and definition of how advisors relate to other resources. (MLW)

Faculty and upperclass students were trained in group techniques for freshman advising. The 144 advisees had fewer course and room changes, disciplinary referrals and suspensions, and less residence hall damage. They also returned as sophomores in greater numbers than students who experienced traditional advising. (Author)

Describes the use of collaborative strategies involving faculty/student teams at Brown University. Highlights the Curricular Advising Program; which involves faculty and upperclass students in first-year student advising; the Odyssey Program, which involves students in curriculum development; the Rose Writing Fellows Program; and the collaborative…

This report describes a learning assistance program at Lamar University, Texas, designed to improve study skills and decrease attrition among college students through the use of peer counselors. The objectives of this two-credit, non-remedial course are discussed, and the material covered in the 18-week course is described, by week, in Table 1.…

An experimental program is described which was designed to train non-urban housewives for paid employment as paraprofessional peer counselors. A flow chart traces the origin of the project back to 1969, when the future project director recognized the mental health needs of a variety of non-urban housewives of all ages. The resulting peer counselor…