Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arrowhead students outline peer-support program, say they logged 2,031 'contacts' this year
Summary
Students from Arrowhead High School's Peers-for-Peers group described prevention work, middle-school outreach and peer mentoring; presenters said the club has 96 members, a 12-person leadership board and recorded 2,031 supportive "contacts" this year.
Members of Arrowhead High School's Peers-for-Peers student group told the school board they aim to spread positivity, promote drug- and alcohol-free choices and train students to support peers in need. Gracie Rangi, a senior and co-president, said the club has 96 members and a 12-person leadership board.
Rangi said Peers-for-Peers documents informal acts of help — "contacts" — that include rides home, encouragement or serving as a bridge to counseling staff; she said the club submitted 2,031 contacts this year. "That kind of just quantifies the impact that we have in our school," Rangi told the board.
The students described three points of focus: a public commitment to remain drug- and alcohol-free, peer-to-peer contacts that record supportive actions, and outreach to middle schools on vaping prevention. Taylor Malik, a senior and club secretary, said the group used curriculum from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin for middle-school presentations and received grant funding to support that work.
Students also described the club's role in the "Wings" freshman program, where peers serve as mentors in small groups to help incoming students acclimate. Michael Hanky, a junior, said Peers-for-Peers members are assigned to three to four "hawk nests" of 20 to 30 freshmen and make time to check in during regular resource periods.
Board members asked how middle-school presentations were received and whether students follow a protocol when a peer discloses substance use. A student presenter said the club's mandatory trainings, provided through Elevate at WCTC, teach warning signs and reporting steps; in cases of immediate danger, presenters said they refer issues to advisers or Elevate staff.
Superintendent Conrad and board members praised the students for presenting without reading slides and for the emphasis on listening and peer connection. The board indicated the presentation would be useful as the district considers student-support and prevention strategies going forward.
