Students in the Perry Meridian High School PEERS Program visited Perry Meridian Sixth Grade Academy to spread the message of making positive choices and avoiding risky behaviors. These high school students are recommended by their teachers and trained throughout the year. The lessons they deliver to the 6th graders at PMA, address the topics of friendship/peer pressure, media influences, and assertiveness techniques.
In the friendship/peer pressure lesson, the students are presented with examples and skits that help students think about how they would react in certain situations revolving around these topics.
In the media influences lesson, students discuss how music and television can spread negative messages, and teaches briefly about internet safety.
In the assertiveness techniques lesson, students learn three techniques (saying no, taking control of the conversation, and refusing to discuss the matter further) to help them in situations where they feel pressure to engage in risky behaviors.
These lessons address several of the 6th grade Health and Wellness standards (https://learningconnection.doe.in.gov/Standards/Standards.aspx?st=&sub=27&gl=8&c=0&stid=0). You can learn more about the PEERS project and its goals online at http://peersproject.org/.