At the Learning Commons in the McLaughlin Library, peer helpers, from left, Jamie Schumann, Danielle Hilton and Caroline Lock offer assistance to student Tanja Rohn.

PHOTO BY MARTIN SCHWALBE

Students helping students. That's what U of G's peer helper program is all about. Launched 17 years ago when 12 students were trained to staff the original Connection Desk, the program has grown to involve some 200 peer helpers in more than 30 units across campus, making this the biggest university peer helper program in Canada.

  In fact, Guelph is considered the national leader in this field and has served as a model for similar programs at other universities, says Cheryl Rose, co-ordinator of the peer helper program in Leadership, Service and Involvement Programs.

  "The Canadian Association of College and University Student Services has long recognized the program as the most comprehensive because of its intentional student focus and strong central co-ordination," she says.

  Trained and supervised by staff and faculty across campus, peer helpers carry out a wide range of student-oriented tasks - planning programs and events, developing and presenting workshops, providing information and resources, referring students to campus and community services, and participating on committees and task groups.

  The peer helper program is designed to benefit both the students who serve as peer helpers and the students they serve, says Rose.

  "For the peer helpers, the program offers experiential learning opportunities that foster their growth and development and strengthen their links with the University community. For the students they serve, the program provides help with a variety of personal, academic and transitional issues, giving them a point of contact as they strive to meet the daily challenges of university life."

  Peer helpers provide a strong sense of connection to the University, serving as a bridge between the student body and the institution and maintaining an open channel of communication among students, staff, administrators and faculty, says Maryann Kope, Learning Services co-ordinator in the Learning Commons. She oversees the work of about 20 peer helpers, whose primary tasks are to provide students with individual assistance in learning, studying and self-management, give workshops on these topics and staff the resource area.

  "Students often feel more comfortable sharing problems and concerns with another student, they tend to open up more, and they're more likely to listen to what a peer helper has to say because he or she is close to their own experience," says Kope.

  Olivia Rose, a sixth-semester B.Sc. student in nutritional and nutraceutical sciences who is the senior science peer in Learning Services, says many students come to her believing they're the only ones experiencing a particular problem or concern. "And of course, that's not the case. We've all gone through the ups and downs of university, and it's important for these students to know that they're not alone and that there are places like Learning or Writing Services here to help."

  Kope says the peer helpers in Learning Services serve as role models for students, promoting positive approaches to studying as they share their knowledge and skills. "Our peer helpers are strong, successful students who are interested in learning and have a strong awareness of themselves as learners," she says.

  Because of their contributions, peer helpers are critical to the delivery of the unit's programs, says Kope. "They're not just a marginal or peripheral extra, they're the heart of our services. I can't imagine how we would operate without them."

  One student program that definitely couldn't operate without peer helpers is the residence cluster program run by University College Connection, says Mildred Eisenbach of the Office of First-Year Studies. For this program, peer helpers live right in residence, where they're assigned to lead one of the 16 student clusters located across campus. All students in the cluster are in the same academic program, as is the peer helper leading the group.

  The peer helper serves as a resource for the cluster, provides opportunities for students to get together to discuss issues, organizes programming related to the students' discipline and arranges opportunities for them to connect with students in other disciplines. The peer helpers also work with residence assistants to co-ordinate planning, strengthen communities and emphasize the responsibility of individuals as community members.

  Eisenbach says cluster students appreciate having this kind of direct access to a senior student who has experience in their discipline and is able to provide them with wide-ranging information about resources on campus. Students and peer helpers alike benefit from this enhanced academic experience, she says.

  The vital role that peer helpers play in the operation of student services on campus is also clearly in evidence at the Student Wellness Centre, says wellness educator Marlene Pfaff, who has more than 20 peer helpers under her wing.

  In addition to helping staff the Student Wellness Centre, enabling it to remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, peer helpers work on various programing projects, including a host of awareness days and weeks such as National Eating Disorders Week. They also develop and facilitate workshops in residences on topics such as low-risk drinking, organize events and information displays, co-ordinate groups such as ABC (Awareness Balance Choice) and AWL (Acceptance Without Limits), and serve on planning committees surrounding a variety of wellness issues.

  "Our peer helpers are committed to these issues," says Pfaff. "That's exciting to see. And it's exciting to see how they grow and develop during the time they spend with us."

  Pfaff has had peer helpers spend as many as 10 semesters at the centre, although the average is five. Loyal long-timers include eighth-semester molecular biology and genetics student Emily Cowan, a senior peer helper who started volunteering at the centre in her first year and liked it so much, she soon signed up for the peer helper program.

  "I think the best part of my involvement at the Wellness Centre is being able to work with such a great group of people," says Cowan. "The peers at the centre come from a wide range of backgrounds, and everyone brings their own special interests and abilities to the group. Another benefit to working at the centre has been learning about all the wellness issues and applying this knowledge to my own life. In the future, I'll be sure to keep in mind the need to balance work with other aspects needed for living a healthy lifestyle."

  Cowan, who plans to start graduate school next fall in the field of cancer research, says her peer experience has helped her achieve many of her goals as a student, including developing her leadership and organizational skills. It has also provided her with an opportunity to give something back to the University, she says.

  Amanda Ono, a sixth-semester psychology student who is a senior peer in the peer helper program office, says her goals have been met many times over through her peer helper experience.

  "The structure of the program is such that its focus is extremely goal-oriented," she says. "Supervisors set goals with their peers at the beginning of the semester, then during the end-of-semester evaluation, they ensure that these goals have been met. If they haven't, action plans are set out to ensure that the needs of the peers are being fulfilled."

  Ono, who plans to pursue a master's in industrial/organizational psychology, says the practical experience she has gained as a peer helper is invaluable. "No amount of textbook reading or lectures could teach me the skills that I've learned by being a peer helper. Skills such as dedication, task-persistence, attention to detail, leadership and communication are valuable not only to employers, but also to anyone I can contribute to along the road of life."

  Olivia Rose, who plans a career in naturopathic medicine, says that in addition to the knowledge and skills she has acquired through her experiences in Learning Services, one of the most important benefits she has gained is "the satisfaction and fulfilment that I feel when I have helped to complete a project or have consulted with a student who then comes back to see me to say thank you because he or she really appreciated the help I gave."

  Kope, Eisenbach and Pfaff all say that working with peer helpers is one of the best parts of their jobs.

  "They're very enthusiastic and fun to work with," says Kope. "It's very rewarding to watch them grow and change and develop into highly successful students and to think that their work as a peer helper has played a big role in that."

  Eisenbach says she gets a lot of energy from her work with peer helpers. "It's also a great opportunity to keep a finger on the pulse of what student life is really like," she says. "It's easy to lose touch with the student situation when you're working in administration."

  Adds Pfaff: "It's great to have this opportunity to get to know these fabulous students. We've developed wonderful friendships, and long after they've graduated, they continue to tell me they wouldn't be where they are today if not for their peer helper experiences."

  The three supervisors say their peer helpers also get rave reviews from the students they serve.

  "Last semester, I had so many calls from students saying: 'Wow, I can't believe you guys are everywhere,'" says Pfaff. "The peer helpers are making a difference. They're getting the information out there. They're doing it."

  Brenda Whiteside, associate vice-president (student affairs), lauds peer helpers and supervisors alike. "Their commitment has played a large role in building U of G's reputation for providing high-quality and innovative student-focused programs and services. In fact, the success of Guelph's peer helper program has become a highly attractive feature of the University, to the extent that some students say they come to Guelph because of the program. I applaud the efforts of everyone involved in making the peer helper program such a great success."

  Applications to the peer helper program are accepted during annual recruitment campaigns in February and October and on an ongoing basis depending on position availability. Students can apply online at www.peer.uoguelph.ca or can pick up an application package at Raithby House or the Connection Desk.