Pray for PEERS!

The PEERS Project
Since Diane's return, she and I and a few other women (mostly from Liberty Chapel) have been busy preparing for our PEERS presentations, meeting with the high schoolers involved and trying to get it all organized in just 2 1/2 weeks. This is the big week! The first groups presented yesterday, a couple more (mine included) present today, and the last groups will present tomorrow.

What is PEERS?
Taken from their website peersproject.org:

WE believe that teens need to have positive experiences in order to succeed. Our program is based on this philosophy and this is why we do more than simply provide youth with education. We engage older youth to teach interactive lessons to their younger peers. These lessons include resisting risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, and bullying. Not only is the message more readily received by younger adolescents, but the Peer Leaders themselves are also provided with a group of friends who have committed to making the same healthy lifestyle choices. These High School Peer Leaders become role models for the middle school students and a support network for their friends.

We have coordinators for The PEERS Project in all three high schools in Montgomery County: Crawfordsville High School, North Montgomery High School (NMHS), and Southmont High School. Diane is the coordinator at the latter two more rural schools.

Certain 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students have been chosen at each of these schools to be PEER leaders for the students at their corresponding middle schools. These students are divided into groups, assigned lessons, and asked to present these lessons to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Three days out of each trimester, the high school students take turns (so each HS student only misses one day) coming to the middle school to present their lesson during the Health & Wellness class.


Presentation Topics at NMHS
6th Grade:
Day 1 - Media Influences
Day 2 - Friendship & Peer Pressure
Day 3 - Assertiveness Techniques

7th Grade:
Day 1 - Teen Pregnancy & Parenting
Day 2 - Sexually Transmitted Diseases (this is my group!)
Day 3 - Linking Drugs to Sex

8th Grade:
Day 1 - Healthy Relationships
Day 2 - Dating and Other Risky Behaviors
Day 3 - Learning to Lead


Why PEERS?
As they explain on their website:
The teenage years are a confusing and overwhelming time, where teens are faced with bullying, peer pressure, abusive relationships, and other challenges. The decisions they make during this time can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Please pray!
I need to get going so I'm not late to our presentations, so I need to wrap it up. Please pray that the teens that present today (and tomorrow) are genuine in their presentations, and that they can be a positive influence both on the middle school students and to one another. The Lord is working through this program, and I am so thankful for it. If you have any more questions about the program, you can look them up both on their website and on The PEERS Project YouTube channel.

Thanks for your prayers!