The Reaching Full Potential Peer Mentoring Program is one way Kutztown Area School District combats underage drinking, dangerous behaviors and substance abuse. High school mentors encourage 7th graders to make good decisions and share their knowledge about high school life.
“We began this last year. We had a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board grant based on underage drinking and dangerous drinking and to combat that issue,” said Kutztown Area High School Assistant Principal Ed Myers. “The original grant produced this mentoring program and we adapted it some this year to match our abilities for scheduling and so forth to what we felt had a better fit to what we could do and what we wanted to accomplish.”
The Peer Mentoring Program links high school students with middle school students, specifically 7th graders.
“To create those habits of fully engaged students who have goals, who have aspirations, and getting students to focus on those goals and aspirations, we feel that in itself is going to pull them away from some of the potentially dangerous and negative behaviors,” said Myers.
For example, on Oct. 19, mentors talked about surrounding themselves with good people.
“People who are involved in activities and are doing the right thing because you will often fall into line with the people that you operate with. The peer engagement process, that came from the students themselves and they talked about how important that was,” said Myers.
About eight high school students in grades 9-12 this school year were selected, based on academics and involvement, to serve as mentors to 7th graders.
“Talking about successful habits, decision making, activities to engage in, ways to prepare themselves for the high school environment and beyond, so really, making a connection between high school and middle school and allowing our students to explain it in their own words and their own perspectives as far as what it takes to succeed and generate those habits and performance traits and characteristics that allow them to experience a lot of positive things at the high school,” said Myers.
The mentors visit the 7th grade Life Lessons class several times during the quarter. More of a group mentoring process, the mentors talk about life at the high school and answer questions in an open forum format.
“They give them tips and talk about their own personal experiences,” said Myers.
Beth Patten and Susan Collier co-teach the Life Lessons class. Patten is a found of Peace. Love. Kutztown and Collier is a Kutztown Strong founder and 7th grade learning support teacher.
“I love to see high school students advise middle school students about what life is like after middle school,” said Patten. “Last year senior Nathan Hayduk spoke about his experience at Berks Career and Technical Center. It was incredible to watch middle school students become spellbound learning about actual career training they could begin in high school. Many students said their favorite part of the class was learning about the high school experience from the mentors.”
Patten said another positive experience is when high school students spoke about facing peer pressure to do drugs and/or alcohol.
Senior Brayden Eck said, “Anyone who tries to get you to do that stuff isn’t your friend because they aren’t helping you make healthy decisions.”
Sophomore Morgan Claypoole told 7th graders that “you need to choose your friends wisely so that you don’t involve yourself in any of that stuff that could ruin your life.”
Patten also really enjoys watching her former students take leadership roles.
“Today (Oct. 19), I saw Juniors Vicki McAteer, Emily Maddock, and Evie Mace come into my classroom and spearhead a discussion on high school life. It was beautiful!” said Patten.
Kutztown Area Middle School Principal Jim Brown said, “The mentors we picked are fine outstanding students. Their views reinforce a drug and alcohol free lifestyle. Our 7th graders would look at them as cool kids and want to emulate them. The mentors become positive role models.”
With mentor visits being a part of the curriculum, Myers said the Life Lessons course includes decision making, understanding the dangers of substance abuse, stress management, conflict resolution, and communication skills. 7th graders take Life Lessons every day for one quarter.
A few 7th grader shared what they have gained from the mentor program.
“You need to take full responsibility for your homework and stay on top of work so that you aren’t missing any assignments. I learned that teachers at the high school are really helpful to you,” said 7th grader Lincoln Maddocks.
“The high school students taught me that you need to manage your stress and that you shouldn’t try to stress yourself out,” said Harley Scheetz.
“I learned that high school is a lot different than middle school. The high school students taught me that you should take advantage of the time you have,” said Dominick Pizzelanti.
Myers said the school district has data from last year that shows they have had success with the Life Lessons program, which all 7th graders participate for one quarter out of the school year.
“The data does suggest that it does change knowledge levels, perspectives and does make an impact on what students think about drugs, alcohol, decisions, behaviors and so forth,” said Myers.
Myers said the district would like to see the mentor program expand in the future and become more of a one-on-one mentoring experience and be more activity based and leadership based.
“One of the goals is to create positive relationship, perspectives and to just allow supports to happen and perspectives to happen from one good to student to the next and just create those bonds,” said Myers.