In my middle school we had a program called Peer Helpers. Once accepted to this program you were to attend a weekend retreat to learn how to listen and help other students with their problems. To become a peer helper and attend the retreat you had to be chosen by your classmates as a trustworthy person. Peer Helpers had at least two to three peers that they helped with their problems, their homework, or just played sports with them. The individuals who recieved a peer helper were at the elementary school level and from troubled homes. I was just wondering if anyone else had this program at their school and if you all believe that it is a good or bad idea?

I did not have this program in my school, but it sounds like a neat program. It almost sounds like a big brother/sister type program. I wish we could see more programs to get young people involved in helping other young people. I think it would help both students out.

I didn't have a program like this either. It sounds like a wonderful program. Sometimes having students help other students is a great way for people of different backgrounds to get to know each other. It also helps build confidence and trustworthiness in students.

Sometimes students feel more comfortable talking with students of their own age. This would be a great program to start in schools.

I agree with Holly, it sounds like a good program and similar to the big sister/brother program. We didn't have anything like this at our school but I participated in something similar on my own where I met with a girl once a week to help her with her homework and play with her some. She was a little behind in school and this was just to help motivate her. I really enjoyed it and still check up on her from time to time. I actually just talked to her mother this past weekend and she made the B Honor Roll !!!

I had this program in my schools. I didn't participate in it but I thought it was something that was beneficial. I had friends that were in the program and I remember them helping out other students throughout the year.

I had this program at my school. I am not sure if I was never in need to its use or if the program was not promoted to the fullest extent, but I remember friends who were peer leaders and loved being in it. It was a great thing to have middle school kids involved in to get them ready for the additional opportunities that they would be exposed to in high school.

I didn't have this program in my school, but I think that it sounds like a great program to have to get students involved with helping children. I think everyone can learn from helping others and I think that it makes you a better person for doing it. I think that this sounds like a program that they should have at all schools and I think it would be great especially for students who are thinking about becoming teachers.

I did have this program in my elementary school, with some minor changes to what has been described, and I was actually a Peer Helper. I helped a second grader gain a better understanding of mathematics while I was in fifth grade. It may possibly have been one of the reasons that started me down the path of becoming a teacher.

I did have this program in my high school and I did participate in it. I think it is a excellent program because often times students can explain a problem better to each other then the teacher can. It also give students who do not want to go to the teacher for help another outlook. For the peer leader it is a great experience because you are working with your peers and learning from both them and the teacher. I loved the program and I think it was a great success.

I did not have this program but i believe that it would be a great program to use. We talked about it something like it in my reading class where you would have kids who where reading at a lower level in 3rd grade read to a class that was on their level and it would cause the kids to feel better about reading and improve.

My school had this program. It was ok for minor problems socially, and was great for tutoring, because only the "best" students were picked to be peer helpers. But the biggest problem, the students saw anyway, was that this was just a free period for the peer helpers to do anything from just chillin out in the library, sleeping in the peer helping room, or just a time for peer helpers who were dating each other to go off and have sex some where. Its sounds terrible, but it true. In order for this program to be successful, the school has to have a good peer helper leader, socially and academically well rounded people who can relate to everyone in the school and some kind of constructive agenda for times when the peer helpers are not needed.

i think in middle school, we had this type of program, but the "popular" kids were the only ones chosen. These types of students were the type that were not trustworthy because they would go blab all the gossip to others. I think that this is a very noble task, and that the students chose for this role should be trustworthy, and they should not be just the popular kids. i think that it can work when used correctly.