Many high school students remember the experiences of junior high and want to be a “big brother” or “big sister” to a younger peer. Christian Brothers Academy Peer-2-Peer Club is an opportunity for high school students to mentor seventh and eighth grade students.

As each junior high student gets to know their “big brother” or “big sister,” they find that not only is he or she a lot of fun, but is also someone they can rely on as a friendly and trustworthy source of support.

All peer mentors in the Peer-2-Peer Club are required to attend an initial three-hour training to learn and practice interpersonal communication skills. On the first Monday of each month, they must also attend an organizational meeting and training session during their lunch period. Currently, there are 62 high school students and 75 junior high students in the club.

In addition to meeting every week, Peer-2-Peer holds a monthly “Food and Fun” party. These parties provide an opportunity for all of the students to enjoy some food and participate in a fun activity. On Dec. 12, the group decorated and ate Christmas cookies and played Christmas charades.

The high school students who serve on the Peer-2-Peer Executive Board are Jaden Buckingham, Brent Savage, Shannon McMullen, Kaitlyn Bushnell, Makayla Kanerviko, Shivam Nanavati, and Chris Bushnell. The executive board meets before school every Monday morning to plan various events for the Peer-2-Peer Club.

The junior high students recently completed a survey of topics that they would like to learn more about. They identified study skills and time management as being at the top of their list. The executive board will be working with Katie Brown to present their top ten study and time management tips during the Academic Prep classes with seventh grade students.