NASPA Peer Education Conference

Presentations submitted under this category should be designed to build skills and capacities of individual peer educators, peer education groups, and/or advisors. For example, programs might focus on the successful retention of peer educators, how to facilitate group meetings, or training peer education groups on specific core leadership competencies (assessment, public speaking, feedback, program planning, motivational interviewing, etc.) or topical content areas (e.g. sexual health, active lifestyles, alcohol and drug knowledge, bystander skills, etc.).

• Develop individual hard and/or soft skills that will enhance an individual's capacity in their role as a peer educator and/or advisor.

• Evaluate current research and best practices around contemporary health education topics to build high impact programming

• Reflect on different leadership styles and how they support and enhance individual and group development.

• Develop leadership, supervision and mentorship skills centering accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion for peer educators and/or advisors.

Learning outcomes for presentations submitted to this category might include:

• After attending this session, peer educators will understand how to use active listening techniques during program presentation to address audience responses.

• Participants attending this session will be able to define the difference and articulate approaches to supervising, advising, or mentoring peer education groups.

• During this session, attendees will identify their own personal conflict management style and practice how to mediate peer conflict.

Try answering one or more of the following prompting questions in your submission:

• What specific skills or content information would a participant to this session hope to leave with?

• How will the skills developed through attending this session benefit a peer educator or an advisor in the work done back on campus?

• How can participants attending this session apply this knowledge on their campus?

Presentations submitted under this category should be designed to explore ways in which student-led programs and initiatives are evolving and innovative. For example, sessions might feature a campus case-study of how a program can be adapted to a different institutional type, how groups advocated for wellness policy changes, how peer education groups used a creative approach to social media, or how data informed a program redesign.

• Identify innovative and promising approaches for prevention, harm-reduction, and risk-reduction programming.

• Articulate how to train students to apply innovative strategies to problem-solving.

• Examine how successful programs or initiatives can be adapted to a variety of campus contexts.

• Illustrate through case studies how peer education groups can build collaborative campus relationships to support students engaging in high-risk behaviors.

• Utilize evaluation data to build capacity, inform programming, and promote campus engagement.

Learning outcomes for program presentations to this category might include:

• Participants attending this session will be able to adapt a social media strategy for reaching a wider audience in the weeks leading up to spring break.

• Participants will be able to identify how peer educators could support initiatives across the five actions of health promotion

• After attending this session, participants will be able create a plan to implement a program addressing nutrition specifically to commuter students.

Try answering one or more of the following prompting questions in your submission:

• What was the process of designing the program that will be discussed in the presentation?

• What were the challenges faced in the design, implementation, or evaluation of the program?

• What were the successes – both anticipated and unanticipated – of the program?

• How could a very similar institution’s peer education group successfully replicate this program?

• How could a very different institution’s peer education group adapt this program to be successful on their campus?

Presentations submitted under this category should be designed to raise awareness of and prepare peer educators and/or advisors for emerging trends and issues which may impact the delivery of peer education on campus. Presentations submitted under this category may explore how campuses are implementing initiatives that respond to the ever-changing campus and global environment.

• Identify current and emerging issues impacting peer educators, groups, and/or advisors.

• Discuss campus, community, and digital wellness trends that peer educators and/or advisors need to be aware of.

• Highlight best practices for amplifying the voices and experiences of historically marginalized populations engaging in peer education work.

• Identify changes and explore solutions in peer education group development, recruitment, and retention due to societal, cultural, and political climate.

Learning outcomes for presentations submitted to this category might include:

• After attending this session, participants will be able to plan for changes in administrative funding while maintaining quality peer education efforts.

• Participants attending this session will be able to define new state laws surrounding personal cannabis use for individuals over age 21.

• Participants attending this session will discuss the role of personal identity in peer education work and be able to deliver peer education curricula surrounding racial identity.

Try answering one or more of the following prompting questions in your submission:

• What is a specific emerging trend or issue that peer educators and advisors need to have more knowledge or awareness of?

• Will campuses be making changes because of the new trend or issue? Why or why not?

• How will participants attending this session continue to develop understanding on the topic after this session is completed?

• How will the new or emerging trend or issue impact the delivery of peer education?

• What are the issues that peer education groups are facing?

• What specific skills or capacities would a participant to this session be prepared to use to help their peer education group succeed?