Peer Mentor Program
Peer Mentoring at Westgate
Westgate Community School's Peer Mentoring Program was established in the Spring of 2017 and since then, it has reached hundreds of students in our building. Each year, Senior Interns refine our Mentor recruitment and selection process, our training process, and our logistics. At the beginning of each school year, Mentors are selected and trained in basic mentoring strategies, active listening, open-ended questioning, support strategies, and even self-care. Recently, Mentors have also become trained in Restorative Practices and will support group conflict and resolution in the building, as well as individual peer-to-peer support.
This program is intended to provide support for students K-12 to manage stress, recognize signs of unhealthy behavior, learn coping strategies, and resolve conflict. Any student that is referred to the program will have the option to participate, and parents/guardians will be notified and given an option to opt-out as well. Ms. Washington, the School Counselor, leads the Peer Mentoring program and is always present and available while mentoring is occurring.
Want to learn more?
Click the link below to watch a 9News feature on our Peer Mentoring program!
Click the link below to listen to an NPR Here and Now show about Peer Mentoring, too!
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/03/22/mental-health-counselors
Click the link below to read an article on EdSurge about Peer Mentoring, written by former Assistant Principal, Amanda Novak