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Peer Educators

Peer educators are motivated by personal experience and the desire to improve lifestyles for themselves and students around them.

They are knowledgeable about public health issues and develop self-confidence, public speaking skills, group facilitation, and communication skills. They also learn and practice effective problem solving, decision making, and program planning skills. They value the importance of sharing ideas and learning from others.

Check out our Peer Educator teams

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    The Connection Project Facilitators

    The Connection Project (TCP) facilitators are undergraduate students who will use ongoing training, supervision, & lived experiences to support their peers. These students promote connection, belonging, and mental health on campus through facilitation of TCP groups weekly in the classroom.

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    Digital Well-being Peer Educators

    Digital Well-being Peer Educators are a team committed to helping students build healthier relationships with technology and inspiring them to rethink their digital habits.

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    Financial Wellness Peer Educators

    Financial Wellness Peer Educators are trained on major aspects of personal financial management (budgeting, credit, student loans, financial planning/goal setting, and banking terminology) in addition to identifying campus resources for students to save money.

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    IMPACT

    The goal of IMPACT is to create positive change to the campus environment and culture. The team supports fellow Hokies by providing judgement-free education on substance misuse prevention in topics such as alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs. Peer educators on the IMPACT team promote the Party Positive harm reduction message by teaching workshops and trainings, holding outreach events, and facilitating 1:1 sessions like the Twenty-first Birthday Project!

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    Mental Health Initiatives Peer Team

    The Mental Health Initiatives Team is a group of trained graduate and undergraduate students who facilitate educational workshops, outreach, programs, and events about mental health and emotional well-being. The goal of the Mental Health Initiatives Team is to help students learn tools and strategies to care for their emotional wellness.

Other Peer Education Programs

The following peer education programs are part of other departments at Virginia Tech (outside of Hokie Wellness)

AWARE

The AWARE Club develops curriculum and facilitates educational programs for 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls at Blacksburg Middle School. Virginia Tech women lead discussions on topics such as healthy relationships, creativity, body image and self-esteem, as well as facilitate workshops and mentor young girls. Volunteers must attend weekly planning meetings and at least one session with students at the Middle School. Volunteers are commit to the program for an entire year.

PALS

The Peer Assistance for Learning program (PAL) is a volunteer opportunity for Virginia Tech students. In this role, PALs provide programmatic support for the counseling center by making and giving outreach presentations on various topics. They help spread information about mental health awareness and study skills.