Gather your resources!
Time: We estimate a minimum of three worker days a week – and you need to be very flexible to be able to negotiate times with Peer Educators and schools/youth groups.
Money: To value young people’s time and input and to avoid exploitation, Peer Educators are recompensed (we pay A$10 per hour). This is the main expense but resources and incidentals need funding as well.
Support: To make contacts with young people and be accepted as a legitimate program you need your own and other organisations support and understanding of your program and your goals.
Knowledge:Workers implementing a Keep Safe Stay Cool program need to have a sound working knowledge of domestic violence and of human rights as a basis for healthy relationships. Thorny questions will be asked by peer educators, students and teachers!
Training!
Use/adapt training package and practice, practice, practice. Always have trial runs. In our experience it’s not until new peer educators have stuffed up that they realise how much preparation is needed before a session. Best not to stuff up in front of a class!
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Training in Progress
Planning
Work out
time-lines, budget, and evaluation strategies, research your local area and
find funding if needed.
Getting Started
- Advertise for young people – use flyers, email lists, local press, talk to schools and youth groups and use word of mouth.
- Talk with prospective Peer Educators whenever possible – encourage them, send out written information and application forms.
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3.
Hold
interviews – be as informal as possible, for many young people this is their
first interview. If someone is really unsuitable, be gentle, encourage them
in other directions.
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4. Establish
dates -
for
Keep Safe Stay Cool
sessions in schools. We find that a few weeks after training gives time to
prepare while giving new Peer Educators something to aim for.
Working together as partners
As Peer Educators who have been extensively trained to lead interactive
presentations, the young people provide valuable input to the program.
Through their knowledge of and participation in a variety of youth cultures
in the area the Peer Educators know which strategies for disseminating
information are likely to work plus:
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Peer Educators are very creative in thinking of new processes for sharing information with other young people.
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Peer educator’s use of language and concepts currently relevant to young people are important components of sessions.
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Feedback sheets from students and teachers give good indicators of what’s working well and what needs to change in the next sessions.
Team Meetings
The workers/peer educator’s team needs to meet weekly to plan for coming
sessions, to design resources and to keep up with information.
The Peer Educators take turns to
chair and take minutes in group meetings. Workers
and Peer Educators set the agenda and allocate tasks.
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