Peer Educators

Who are we?
The Peer Educators are Berry College students specially trained to communicate with young people about student well-being and responsibility. We are supervised by the Director and Associate Director of Counseling at Berry.

What do we do?
The Peer Educators lead educational programs designed to foster responsible attitudes and behavior. Our topics (listed below) cover a range of physical and mental health issues with an emphasis on substance abuse. We also serve as a resource persons to individuals seeking information for personal or academic reasons.

Whom do we serve?
In addition to our main programs for Berry Students, we lead programs at local schools (grades K-12), colleges, hospitals, church youth groups, and any other group where young people gather to grow and learn. There is no fee for our services.

Contact Information:
The easiest way to contact us is through our email: peereducator@berry.edu. On campus, our extension is 2379. Off campus, calls can be directed through the Counseling Center at 706-236-2259. Our office and resource room are in room 13 in the Ladd Center near the counseling wing. If you want us to plan programming, please contact us long in advance of your desired date, because our programming schedule can fill up quickly.

Past program topics include:

• Drunk Driving
• Substance Abuse and Addiction
• College Student Mental Health Awareness
• Stress
• Racism and Prejudice
• Eating Disorders
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Dating and Relationships
• Sexual Harassment and Assault
• Nutrition and Excercise
• Study Habits
• Body Image
• Gender and the Media

Most common types of programs include:

• Drunk Driving
• Substance Abuse and Addiction
• College Student Mental Health Awareness
• Stress
• Racism and Prejudice
• Eating Disorders
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Dating and Relationships
• Sexual Harassment and Assault
• Nutrition and Excercise
• Study Habits
• Body Image
• Gender and the Media

Each year, the Peer Educators reach well over a thousand students with their programs. On average, the Peer Educators organize 20 programs per year for Berry College students and the greater community. The Peer Educators also routinely give out surveys to students to determine on campus attitudes about certain issues affecting the community.

The Peer Educators are members of the national BACCHUS/GAMMA Peer Education Network which is a community based network focused on health and safety initiatives among colleges and universities across the United States. In the last decade, the Peer Educators have been awarded the outstanding area chapter award seven times.

The Peer Educator Resource Room has books, scientific journals, and brochures on many topics, especially drug and alcohol abuse. Please stop by the Resource Room in the Ladd Center to see what we have. All of our holdings are also included in the library's electronic catalogue WebVoyage.

Online Resources:
BACCHUS/GAMMA Peer Education Network
Men Against Violence Against Women
Berry College Health and Wellness Center
Berry College Campus Safety
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)