Revere High runs youth ‘health equity core’ internship to train peer educators
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Summary
District staff described a semester internship that trains high school students in teen mental health first aid and peer education; students pushed lessons into two middle schools and received stipends under a community grant.
Revere Public Schools staff described a new youth internship program on April 15 that trains high school students to deliver peer‑to‑peer health education in middle schools and to act as positive role models for younger students.
Jill, the district’s health and wellness director, told the school committee the program grew from a partnership with Revere Cares and a Mass CALL3 grant that focuses on mental health and substance‑use prevention. She said Revere High School launched a “youth health equity core,” a semester‑long internship where students receive training — including teen mental health first aid — and then design and deliver self‑designed lessons to middle school classrooms.
The director said seven interns participated in the fall and 15 in the spring, and that interns have pushed lessons into Romney Marsh Academy and Susan B. Anthony Middle School. Student interns told the committee they taught units on marijuana and drugs, mental health, relationships including consent and boundaries, and a planned final lesson called “surviving RHS” to prepare middle‑schoolers for high school.
Student Adrida described working at her own middle school and said the program lets interns “give advice on things that eighth‑grade me had similar anxious worried about.” Returning intern Aya said consistent classroom presence built trust and allowed small‑group sharing that students would not make with adults. Staff confirmed that adult health educators and a Revere Cares staff member supervise the interns during push‑in lessons.
The director said the district offers stipends this year for interns through the grant, and that the program is part of a broader set of community partnerships, including outreach with MGH and Mass General Brigham immigrant health programs. Future goals include expanding the model to other middle schools, exploring after‑school club versions, and investigating whether the peer model can be used for targeted substance‑use supports under a BASAS grant.
Committee members praised the program and suggested exploring pathways from the internship to future local employment in education and health roles. The director confirmed conversations with the high school principal about possible career pathways tied to the program.
No formal action was taken; staff asked the committee for continued support as they explore expansion options.
