On October 17 the Hampton Bays High School Peer Educators participated in a leadership training with the Suffolk County Department of Health. The Peer Educators program is a club that is focused on making the school a safer space for all students and educating other students on the importance of anti-bullying as well as anti-vaping.
The Peer Educators program, advised by Mr. Davidson and Ms. DeBlasio, helps student leaders to facilitate a safer space for learning and development for all students in the district. Over the past few years, the group has participated in multiple leadership training sessions with the Director of Public Health for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, John Martin. Martin primarily focuses on advocating for the importance of anti-vaping and anti-bullying for teenagers. As explained on the NYS DOH website, Martin developed the Bullying Prevention/Healthy Communication Peer Education Program in response to growing media reports of teen suicides linked to bullying in schools and online. Through the program, “High School students are trained to be ‘Upstanders’ instead of just bystanders through the development of social emotional learning skills focusing on character, respect and healthy communication.” When asked why he wanted to kickstart this countywide program, Martin stated, “I always was interested in group stuff, and so I thought who better to help kids then kids, so change the culture from within the hallways by the kids that travel those hallways.”
During the anti-vaping and anti-bullying training with Martin, student leaders participated in roleplay and interactive games and activities in order to become more comfortable with public speaking and presenting. He began by leading presentations on factual evidence regarding many addictive drugs including nicotine and why it is so addictive and intriguing, specifically to teens. Participating in icebreaker activities as a group allowed the student leaders to expand out of their comfort zones and interact with their peers in new and unique ways.
Throughout the school year, the Peer Educators meet biweekly to discuss current issues within the student body as well as upcoming events. This year for the month of November they focused on a campaign to combat vaping. This included putting up vaping awareness posters around the school and making announcements on the dangers of vaping and its effects on teens. Some of these announcements have included vaping statistics, the consequences of teen vaping, as well as overall health disadvantages from vaping.
Hampton Bays High School Principal, Mr. Christopher Richardt, stated, “I think the peer educator program is one of the most powerful student-led organizations in the building. For years, we have partnered with Mr. Martin at the Suffolk County Department of Health to inspire leadership for the purpose of teaching and implementing change. The Vape Out and teaching provided by this team over the years have helped countless kids in both the middle and high school make better decisions.” Both Mr. Richardt and Assistant Principal, Mr. Michael Morgan, prioritize pushing out these lessons, especially throughout these recent months.
Martin returned to Hampton Bays High School on November 13, to share his knowledge with the entire student body through presentations in grade-level assemblies. He led an enthusiastic and engaging assembly for grades 9-12 on the manipulation of the tobacco industry, and how their tactics to draw in consumers and hook them for life have presented an opportunity to the nicotine industry to do the same. High school senior, Laila DeRosa stated, “The school, trying to take a new approach on how they delivered this lesson as opposed to previous years, made the presentation more engaging for students rather than as scary as it had been delivered in years past. ”
In addition to work in their own building, Peer Educators take an annual field trip down to Hampton Bays Middle School in order to spread anti-bullying awareness to the younger Hampton Bays community. Training typically entails presentations, ice breaker games, as well as activities to engage the pre-teens in the learning experience. Student leaders present lessons using role play and interactive improvisations, which all meet National Health Education Standards. Members of the club, including third-year member, junior Sumeja Bytyqi, finds the most influential part about the club’s outreach is “going to the middle school and teaching the younger students and setting an example.”
