Topics In Brief
Peer Education
This edition of ReCAPP focuses on peer education and its role in teen pregnancy prevention. The articles on peer education were written by ReCAPP consultant Nicole Lezin, a public health researcher and writer and co-author of Community Health Promotion Ideas that Work: A Field-book for Practitioners. This material can be found in its own section under Theories and Approaches. It is divided into the following articles:
- An Introduction to Peer Education
This article offers some background on peer education and explains what it is — and isn't. It also includes information on why — and why not — to use peer educators and discusses what research tells us about the effectiveness of peer education.
- Characteristics of Effective Peer Education Programs
This article provides guidelines for developing successful peer education programs, explains how best to recruit and train peer educators, lists qualities to look for when recruiting, and outlines recommended topics to include in initial training sessions.
- Challenges and Benefits of Peer Education Programs
As its title indicates, this article itemizes some challenges those who begin peer education programs can expect. It also lists the benefits of peer education programs, which may outweigh the challenges.
- Peer Education in Action: The STAND Peer Educator Training Curriculum
A brief summary of the Students Together Against Negative Decisions (STAND) curriculum — a successful 28-session peer education training program that promotes both abstinence and risk reduction in rural Georgia. Included is information on how STAND peer educators are selected and trained.
- Resources
A list of organizations, web sites, and publications with more information on peer education.
- References
Footnotes for the research cited in the articles.
- Additional Resources and Tools, including:
- Peer Educator Dos and Don'ts
- Selection Criteria for Peer Educators
- Sample Youth Health Education Agreement
- Sample Parent Permission Letter
- Sample Permission Slip
- Sample Program Evaluation
- Sample Program Coordinator Evaluation
- Sample Peer Educator Outreach Report
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- Peer Educator Dos and Don'ts