{"id":12162,"date":"2021-11-12T11:26:24","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T16:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/?p=12162"},"modified":"2021-11-14T21:26:43","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T02:26:43","slug":"marymount-education-faculty-lead-peer-mentor-leadership-institute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-education-faculty-lead-peer-mentor-leadership-institute\/","title":{"rendered":"Marymount Education faculty lead Peer Mentor Leadership Institute"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On November 5, more than 30 high school students gathered at Marymount University\u2019s Ballston Center<\/a> for a day of training at the third annual Peer Mentor Leadership Institute.<\/p>\n The Institute began in 2019 as an idea to provide a high level of instruction and collaboration among students who have chosen to become peer mentors at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Arlington<\/a>.<\/p>\n Diane Elliott, Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools, and a dynamic team of high school mentor coordinators and teachers from local diocese high schools turned to Dr. Clara Hauth<\/a>, Associate Professor of Education<\/a> at Marymount, to support the program, and together they launched the Peer Mentor Leadership Institute.<\/p>\n \u201cWe welcome a group of some of the top peer mentors to join the Institute and increase their knowledge and skills,\u201d Dr. Hauth said. \u201cMarymount faculty and graduate students engage the high schoolers in a day of workshops and activities, building their foundation as leaders ready to share what they\u2019ve learned with fellow mentors at their school.\u201d<\/p>\n The Peer Mentor program is designed to foster inclusive learning for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and has been implemented at four Catholic high schools<\/a> within the Diocese \u2014 Bishop Ireton High School<\/a>, Bishop O\u2019Connell High School<\/a>, St. Paul VI High School<\/a> and Saint John Paul the Great High School<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPeer mentoring is a unique model in the Diocese of Arlington where students take on a position, almost like a teacher assistant, in the classroom and they\u2019re there to support a student\u2019s social-emotional needs,\u201d explained J-Lynn Van Pelt, Director of Special Services at Bishop Ireton High School. \u201cPeer mentors make sure our neurodiverse students can integrate into the classroom, be included with their peers and are really there for the students to help guide them.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, student workshops focused on social-emotional coaching, understanding ableism and building allyship. Leading the workshops were Marymount faculty members, including Dr. Marcia Baldanza<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Education; Dr. Nicole Conners<\/a>, Adjunct Professor of Education; and Dr. Nicci Dowd<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Education. Professors were assisted in lesson planning and classroom teaching by a team of graduate Education students including Zain Hassan, Zakiah Alasiri, Jennifer Thompson and Samantha Fry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe learned more about how we can de-escalate a difficult situation and help calm our peer student,\u201d explained Emily Dubois, a senior at St. Paul VI High School. \u201cWe also learned how to be the best ally to them by not speaking for them and allowing them to speak for themselves, so it benefits them the most.\u201d<\/p>\n This is the second year Dubois has participated in the Institute. Her initial interest in the Peer Mentor program was sparked from a personal connection.<\/p>\n \u201cI started peer mentoring because I have a little sister with Down syndrome. She inspired me to become a peer mentor and once I started, I fell in love with the students in our program at school,\u201d Dubois said. \u201cI\u2019ve become involved with them and created friendships, so I want to help them the best that I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Her experience at the Institute has only affirmed her plans to study special education after graduating from high school in the hopes of becoming a teacher.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe peer mentoring program at my school, as well as attending the Institute, has helped me not only realize this is what I\u2019d like to pursue, but also the type of person I\u2019d like to be while doing it,\u201d Dubois added. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Holy Spirit is pushing us all to be accepting of everyone, and these students have been greatly impacted,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cWe have a wonderful group of students, and the Peer Mentor Leadership Institute shows how our students are mature beyond their years. We\u2019re very grateful to Marymount for providing a wonderful educational opportunity for the students and teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to lessons aimed at student peer mentors, teachers and administrators at participating high schools received instruction on creating a trauma-sensitive learning environment by Dr. Paula Azevedo<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Education.<\/p>\n