 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
testimonialsCheck out what young people, teachers and others shared with us:
research from the university of western sydneyLouise Ellis from the UWS Self-Concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation (SELF) Research Centre, has completed a three-year study into the effectiveness of a Peer Support Australia anti-bullying program. ..... Dr Ellis says the study not only identified the extent of bullying in our schools, but also measured the outcomes of the Peer Support Program on the students. "The self-confidence of those taking part in the program increased significantly, as did their enjoyment of school, their relations with other peers and their perception of support from those around them. there were also positive benefits for cooperative teamwork and the students' academic self-concept." "But most importantly," says Dr Ellis, "the Peer Support Program successfully changed attitudes to bullying." After the program, far fewer students held pro-bullying attitudes (such as 'bullying makes the person tougher', or bullying is okay if others are doing it') and there was a significant increase in pro-victim attitudes (like 'bullying should be stopped' or those who are being bullied need assistance'). Dr Ellis said that the SELF Research Centre has found that these types of support programs can help prevent bullying at school. "The research proves that these type of support programs definitely have measurable benefits for students. The positive results suggest the program is worthwhile, especially in changing the attitudes to bullying, which is one of the study's significant findings." children from years 4 & 5 comment on their experiences in peer support"In Peer Support we learnt about safety, rights and wrongs. In the session there was a person skipping and he was getting hurt by the rope, he was very unhappy. We talked about how he felt and what he could do. The next time we met, our leaders asked us when we feel powerful. These were the answers we gave:
Kimberley, Year 4
"On Wednesday our school had our first Peer Support session. I am the co leader of group 13. My leader’s name is Emma. We started off by choosing the name of our group. Our name is the Tigers. Next we played a game. We had to sit on chairs and one person stood in the middle. The person had to call out something that they thought was fun. Then, all the people who thought that was fun had to stand up and find another chair and so on. Then we changed the game a little bit by saying what makes us feel safe at school. After that, I wrote down all of the ideas from the kids about what is fun, when they feel safe, when they feel liked and loved and also what the school can do to make us feel safe. I think Peer Support is fun this year."
"Today in Peer Support, we learnt it is wrong to bully others. We also talked about the meaning of fun, love, survival and power. We need all of these things to be happy."
the staff at st joseph’s high school, port macquarie regional campus talk about their experiences implementing the right choice - peer support australia’s anti-bullying module for secondary schools"We have had a very successful year with Peer Support. This year we moved into a new phase of its development and it has proved to be a big success in achieving its aims. This year we focused on ‘bullying’ in the school and the results in the yard have been very encouraging. The level of violence and bullying which have become apparent to teachers seems to be on the decrease as we strive to make our school a safe and welcoming place for all who come here. We participated in a Bullying Awareness Raising session and, in our approach, focused on the following:
It was a great benefit to have staff training in dealing with bullying behaviours. It helped us to better support the Peer Support Leaders and the groups. By having Sam Chadwick, a Peer Support Australia Training Consultant, come to Port Macquarie and presenting the session to all staff there has been a very positive attitudinal shift in the whole staff approach to Peer Support.
gillian calvert, commissioner for children and young people talks about how peer support australia supports the work of the commission"Research has shown that children and young people who have strong connections with their school and family do better than those who have weak connections. The Peer Support Program provides a tremendous opportunity for young people to participate in their school community and build strong relationships with each other. The older students learn important communication, problem solving and leadership skills as they get to know the younger students. In turn, the younger students enjoy the support of a trusted older figure as they make the transition to high school. Peer Support Australia is to be commended for its excellent work in fostering healthy connections between young people and their schools."
meredith tomkins of st john the baptist catholic school, harbord, reviews the peer support module, good citizens – the passport to our future, and talks about how peer support australia’s modules and structure supports other initiatives in the school"Our school has been running the Good Citizens – the passport to our future Primary module for two terms now. " Initially a staff member was trained by Peer Support Australia and, with the assistance of another teacher, facilitated the training of our Year 6 students to be group leaders. This training, the weekly leadership role involving cooperative group work and the briefing sessions as well as the refresher training times have been the focus for a major part of our Personal Development Program as well as assisting in the formation of our children as school leaders and independent learners. A preparatory role for High School and for life! We have had very positive comments from our parent community acknowledging changes in the children’s behaviour that they have noticed or been told about by their own children. The children themselves, particularly the younger ones (K-2), are developing networks across the grades and this is evident in the playground and during whole school events. The staff have played a proactive role in the program and are supporting the Year 6 Group leaders by encouraging them and acknowledging their developing leadership skills. We find that the structure recommended by Peer Support Australia provides a positive way for all the Year 6 children to be and be seen as leaders. It also provides a friendly grouping structure for other school events, such as our Mini Olympics day, Church Mass and liturgy celebrations. It is evident that the program is building bonds across the school, developing relationships and encouraging assertive behaviours that are strengthening our whole school community. We intend to develop these bonds and networks even further and to use them to tackle other issues that we have identified." tim macmichael of wynyard high school, tasmania, talks about how the peer support program supports his school"The Peer Support Program has been running at Wynyard High School for several years. The Peer Support Program has been an intricate part of the school curriculum during a calendar year. Wynyard High School ensures that the Peer Support Program is a priority, as it is given dedicated time and planning, has a dedicated budget and resources and always has the support of staff and students. Peer Support leaders(16-20 are chosen each year) are required on the Grade Seven School Camp that we conduct each year. The Peer Support leaders take Grade Seven students for introductory Peer Support activities during allocated sessions whilst on camp. It creates positive relationships having the Peer Support leaders attend Grade Seven Camp as it creates a smoother transition for students to relate to the Peer Support activities once back at school. The Peer Support Program continues after Grade Seven Camp with activities based on Being Organised,Finding my Way around the School, Resilience, Bullying etc. Groups of 8-10 students work with two Peer Support leaders who have been trained in specific activities to promote wellbeing and develop a sense of self. Peer Support leaders are briefed on what is required from each session, what the aims of each session are and to scaffold any problems that exist within groupings. We have found the new Peer Support manual and resources most useful and practical since we purchased them last year. Our resources and training manuals were quite outdats and in desperate need of new material! We are hoping to purchase more Peer Support units and resources to compliment our Peer Support library. We would certainly recommend the new material and training to anyone wishing to implement or develop their current Peer Support program. Peer Support leaders are also used for transitional activities for Grade Six students wishing to come to Wynyard High School and Peer Tutoring programs that focuses on supporting a students' learning in the classroom. Last year, the Peer Support leaders ran some activities as part of National Youth Week that focused on team building and having fun. This was a very successful activity, which the Peer Support leaders were very proud of. We ensure that we pick our best Peer Support leaders of the school by having all Grade Nine students undertake two days of intensive Peer Support training at an off-campus venue. They work closely with staff members for the duration of the two days and a staff panel selects the Peer Support leaders for the following year based on how students conduct themselves during training and generally around the school. We are implementing some new training methods to our training this year due to the fact that we obtained new and up-to-date resources from a recent Peer Support workshop. Wynyard High School will continue to run the Peer Support Program well into the future, due to the success of the program and the rewards it creates for staff, students and the community. scotch oakburn college, tasmania, talk about their peer support program"We have a very strong peer support program, with Year 10 students mentoring Year 7's. The Year 7 students consistently identify the Peer Support Program as a highlight of their smooth transition into Middle School. The connections they make with older students helps them to enhance their sense of belonging and provides reassurance, knowing that older students are keenly looking out for them. This support provides significant leadership and service opportunities for our Year 10 students." rebbecca roberts, assistant principal, st patrick's school, emerald, qld, talk about their experience with the peer support program"We are currently implementing the Peer Support Program at St Patrick's Emerald with great success. As St Patrick’s is a primary school with over 610 students our middle and upper students rarely interact with our lower students as we have split lunch times and split school events such as athletics and swimming carnivals. We also have limited students in Year 7 with a leadership role as we have approximately 70 Year 7 students each year. I have included below some comments made by teachers, students and Year 7 Peer Support leaders after the completion of our first module last year: Miss Kerrisk thought that ‘Getting to know the other grades – younger and older’ was the most valuable aspect of the program Miss Maguire thought that the program was good because it allowed children to get to know other students at their school of different ages. It also prepared Year 7s for leadership. Miss Donghi thought it was fantastic to see children interacting with other children of different ages and forming friendships One of the groups said they spent time with other members of their Peer Support group in the mornings before school Another group said their favourite activity was making the chatterbox It helped the members of another group to make more friends One of the Peer Leaders thought that their role helped them to be more responsible and confident Another Peer Leader learnt how to teach kids and have fun Learning what it is like to be a leader is one of the benefits another Peer Leader took away from the experience Recently our Principal was at a BBQ with several of our 2008 Year 7 boys (1 being his son) and he asked them what their favourite thing was about Year 7. All four boys said they liked leading Peer Support the best. Our Principal, although was not surprise, was glad that Peer Support topped their list rather than the great sporting achievements these boys experienced at St Patrick’s in 2008. My niece also participated in Peer Support as a Prep student and looked forward to the half an hour session each week with anticipation. Her mother was also very impressed with the program as it was one of the only time’s Jade interacted with students in other year levels. She also noticed an increase in her confidence. The program assisted many of the Prep and Year 1 students deal with changes in circumstances and routines. As the organiser of the program for our school I found it incredibly simple to follow and prepare. The Year 7 teachers also found the lessons easy to follow for their students and noticed a confidence boost was given for those students who weren’t elected to a leadership role. We are continuing with Peer Support in 2009 and beyond and find it an extremely beneficial program for our students." michelle kotzas, st margaret mary's college, townsville, queensland talks about her peer support program"St Margaret Mary's College introduced the Peer Support Program in 2008. We decided that it would be a wonderful opportunity to assist Year 11 students with their leadership training and also provide positive mentoring possibiliites with Year 9 students. Whilst integrated into our school community on a relatively small scale, the program was very beneficial in setting up strong peer relationships between these two groups and has been a valuable way of maintaining strong mentoring for the Year 9 students. Both year levels have found the program valuable and rewarding. They have become aware of the value of positive dialogue and communication when working through personal and school related concerns. The Year 11s learned the positive contributions they make as leaders and older peers. The Year 9 students involved discovered ways of breaking through some important issues on feelings of isolation, and oft times exclusion in friendship groups. In some of the workshops they were able to find comfort in talking this through with their other Year 9 peers, whilst finding courage in the support of their older peer leaders. We are looking forward to the program starting again this year and the valuable opportunities it can provide for our school community."
lloyd munro, myay birray youth services, moree nsw, tells us why he thinks peer support programs support the kids in his area"The Peer Support program gives support to the kids. It opens the door for them to look at issues, gives them the skills they need especially in the long term and for future family and community involvement. Peer Support can bring out the best that is in a kid. Peer Support Australia knows the issues and how to support kids to make the changes. The program isn’t a one hit experience but long term and ongoing. It is a real opportunity for community involvement ... which has to happen if things are to change." inspirational messages for young peopleThese messages were shared during the 2000 Croc Eisteddfod Festival in Moree.
"Be proud, Be strong, Stay true, Keep dreamin’."
"Dream of a future and strive to achieve it. Listen to the words of wisdom, they come from yourself, your family and your teachers."
"Peace and wisdom"
"Look into your heart. There are good and great things there. You CAN use them to achieve anything you want."
"You’re all so beautiful, special and unique ... Together you make a great tapestry. Look inside yourself, you are the future." |
Home | About Us | The Peer Support Program | Videos | Members | FAQs | Links | Contact Us
Privacy Policy | Add to Favorites | Search This Site
The information contained within this website is copyright. Website Copyright Policy
Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 all rights are reserved.
Peer Support Foundation Limited trading as Peer Support Australia
site by accurate expressions