By Jolene Farley
Both Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary and Hills-Beaver Creek High School boast similar peer groups whose purpose is to assist other students.
Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary has 19 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders participating in the Peer Mediators program. The program, in existence for nine years, helps kids learn to settle conflict in a positive and peaceful way.
Students are sent to conflict resolution training to learn effective ways to help peers resolve conflict.
Peer Mediator adviser Jil Vaughn said, "It helps the children come up with their own solutions. They seem to relate better to their peers than an adult would."
Hills-Beaver Creek High School has a similar organization. Twenty-nine students have joined Peer Helpers. Under adviser Rochelle McGill, the group sponsors many events and activities.
They plan high school dances, sell balloons and flowers during Valentine's Day week, sell concessions during sporting events and provide peer tutoring if students need help. Students visit the Tuff Home once a month for the Adopt-A-Grandparent program. They will also help in the elementary school if they are needed.
During June or July, Peer Helpers attend a camp where they learn how to help people in different situations. The goal of the camp is to help students become better Peer Helpers.
A new project this year is Hire-A-Kid-Day. Next spring, students will be auctioned off to the highest bidders for various jobs.
The group formally meets two or three times a month.
"The main thing is getting the students involved," said McGill. "This year I've had many more students join. It gives the younger students older people to look up to."
Students know if they need help they can go to a Peer Helper, she said.
The Peer Helper experience has been positive, according to student Jessica Martens. She particularly enjoys the Adopt-A-Grandparent program. "It is fun to go talk to the old people," said Martens. "One lady even started crying."