The PEERS Project was a pre-COVID-19 project where students talked to other students. When the pandemic hit, the project had to be shut down momentarily. Now, Gibson Southern’s Vice Principal Amanda Sefton and PEERS project director Bethany May are working together to bring the project back to the South Gibson school system, a project that was once prolific throughout all of southern Indiana.
The PEERS project being reinstated into the school system at Gibson Southern is a long process that will officially begin on Nov. 15, during a FLEX period, where May will talk to sophomores and juniors who are interested in the project. Anyone is welcome to come to the meeting, but only sophomores and juniors will be able to sign up due to the fact that May feels that freshmen are a little too close to the targeted age.
“We feel freshman age is not out of the question, but is a little too close to the middle school age, and seniors are definitely welcome,” May said. “But, we hope that the students we bring on are able to commit to the process.”
Additionally, the students will have to talk to their middle school peers about subjects that may be uncomfortable to broach on a daily basis with their friends or with the adults around them.
“We teach high schoolers to present various topics to their middle school peers on how to say no to more of the negative behaviors like drugs, alcohol, sexual activity – some of the more uncomfortable topics but in a fun and engaging way,” May said.
The goal is to make middle school students feel comfortable in saying “no” in a decision that they do not want to make, especially if they are not ready for said choices. Gibson Southern will be one of three schools to be reinitiated with the PEERS project, and May hopes it is just one of many in the southern Indiana region.
“Our one currently running program is in Boonville High School,” May said. “My goal would be 12 schools since we had 12 pre-COVID.”
After the first meeting on Nov. 15, May will come to Gibson Southern either monthly or biweekly to meet with the students who are participating. They will pick a pre-scripted subject and be broken up into groups where they will then work on presenting their topic to their younger audience.
In the spring, PEERS Project members will be sent to Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch to give their presentations to the middle school students and answer any questions about high school they might have.
Daily emails recruiting students to the program were sent out to the student body. Some students have heard about the program through word-of-mouth as well, garnering interest.
“I think it would be interesting to do,” Rose said. “If I’m not too busy, I may go to the meeting on Wednesday.”
However, Rose would like to see specific subjects mentioned at the meeting and covered during the presentations.
“Drugs, smoking and vaping could be good subjects to discuss since they can seriously damage pre-teens and teens.”
May and Sefton both recognize that this is just the beginning of a new era in the PEERS program but wish it will soon be seen across Indiana.
“I know we have some outstanding role models in this building,” Sefton said. “I hope they will consider participating in the program.”
