Looking for a meaningful campus job? If you’re passionate about sexuality and relationships, mental health, or alcohol and other substance use, or you just want to make an impact on campus, consider becoming a Peer Educator! Peer Educators are paid undergraduate students who provide education on various health and wellness topics such as substance use, sexuality and relationships, and mental health through interactive programming, role modeling and outreach initiatives.
What Do Peer Educators Do?
Peer Educators make a difference on campus through outreach and education, including tabling, Health Hubs, Wellness Leadership Institute presentations and signature programs such as Safer Sex Express, the Clothesline Project, Options and Recovery Education Program, 21st Birthday Project, and SoulTalk. Peer Educators work during the academic year and work a minimum of 7-10 hours a week; these hours are mostly during the weekday, but some weekend and evening hours are available. Typical shifts include weekly meetings, office hour(s) and programming commitments.
How Is the Peer Education Program Structured?
The Peer Education program consists of three teams: Be Wise, Peer Educators Encouraging Healthy Relationships and Sexuality (PEEHRS), and Students Advocating for Mental Health Empowerment (SAMHEs).
- The Be Wise team focuses on educating students about harm reduction strategies regarding alcohol and other drugs so students can make informed decisions.
- PEEHRS focuses on sexuality and relationships including consent, healthy relationships, prosocial bystander intervention, sexual and relationship violence prevention, and sexual health and pleasure.
- SAMHEs concentrates on normalizing mental health and provide educational programming surrounding mental wellness to Syracuse University students, focusing on areas such as stress management, sleep, time management, self-care and resiliency.
What Are the Qualifications to Be a Peer Educator?
Peer Educators should be reliable undergraduate students who are passionate about promoting student health and well-being, have strong interpersonal/communication skills, be accountable and be able to work well both independently and within team settings.
How Do I Apply?
If you want more information, a complete job description is posted on Handshake, or you can visit the Peer Educator webpage on the Barnes Center’s site. In order to apply, students must have attended at least one recruitment event (which you can register for on the Wellness Portal) and have submitted the Peer Education Application Form by 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. Interviews will be held the week of Feb. 27 through the week of March 6, offers sent the week of March 27, and alternate offers and declines sent the week of April 3.
If you’re interested in applying to be a Peer Educator for the 2023-2024 academic year but haven’t yet attended a recruitment event, be sure to register for one of the last two!
- Monday, Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m.: Alcohol and Other Substances Focus
- Thursday, Feb. 9, 1 p.m.: Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Focus
“Peer Education has given me the opportunity to really make a difference on campus and do work that I am passionate about. I have met the most amazing people through this program and have learned so much about not only the health topics, but how to deliver them and make an impact in the community,” says Madison Roberts ’23, a current member of the Be Wise Peer Educator team. If you’re interested in supporting the University community and growing health and wellness initiatives on campus, don’t miss out on the chance to join the Peer Educator team! If you have any questions about applying, please email the Barnes Center at The Arch or call 315.443.8000.
Written By Taylor Koennecke ’23, College of Arts and Sciences, Be Wise Peer Educator