Students in the district’s Youth Participatory Action Research program presented their research on peer mentorship to the board on Dec. 1, urging continued support for Peer Group Connection (PGC).

Ashlyn Zurburgen, the district’s youth engagement coordinator, introduced the YPAR team and said the group developed the project over the summer with support from Carleton College. Student presenter Issa Ali said, "YPAR stands for youth per spec participatory action research, short for PAR," and explained the method trains young people to conduct research aimed at improving schools and communities.

Student presenters said they chose peer mentorship as a topic after finding a gap in connection between ninth graders and upperclassmen. The students reported survey results they said showed positive outcomes: "we had conducted a survey ... and we had found that 71.4 percent of students learn from outreaches," one presenter said, describing improvements in connection and social skills.

Board members praised the presentation. Director Robichaud told the students he found the program "critically important," and Director Moore thanked them for providing printed handouts and for presenting rather than simply reading slides.

The students asked for continued board support for PGC and said that peer mentorship and programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters help provide continuity and leadership opportunities. The board expressed support and had follow-up questions about program years and findings.