Author Description

There is nothing more powerful than receiving adjusting and affirming feedback from a peer. This book is designed to assist all school stakeholders who are interested in implementing an effective peer mentorship program that is specifically geared for high and middle school students. The concept can even be implemented at lower grade levels. Whether you are a student, mentor, mentee, parent, guidance counselor, social worker, teacher or principal, this book will be a guide listing and framing best practices for the coordination of a peer mentorship program. Peer mentorship can be an essential piece of a larger puzzle and can have a tremendous impact on school culture nationwide. For students being mentored the difference in them is almost immediate. Mentorship has a significant effect on bullying, attendance, grade point averages, suspension rates, disciplinary referrals and classroom disruption. Peer mentorship in schools has the potential if implemented with best practices to change the face of student culture throughout every middle and high school in the nation. We live in a society that encourages individuality and promotes independence but at what cost? Though we teach our children to be dependent free of others the reality is that no man or woman is an island. We are social beings and caring for one another is what makes us human. When we work together we achieve more. Character is not a concept that is simply spoken about but actually manifests itself through our actions. As educators it is our moral obligation to teach students the importance to care for one another. Studies have shown that schools with peer mentorship programs along with an effective character education curriculum have had significant increases in academic performance and improved confidence as well as decreases in poor behavior and suspensions.