In 1996, when Juan Garcia was in the 11th grade, he volunteered to be a peer educator. Today he has graduated from Jefferson High School and works as an intern in the Safety Department at the Los Angeles Mass Transit Authority. "I wanted to be a peer educator so I could help other people and learn more communication skills," he explains. "I was very shy but now I view the world a little differently. I have more confidence to talk to people."

Teens report that they listen when peer educators speak

The peer education program has been a great success, both for the peer educators and the hundreds of students they've reached. Many teens told us they pay more attention to the health and safety information delivered by the peer educators, because they do it in a fun way and because the peer educators know what it's like to be a teen in the workplace. For many, the peer educators are a more trusted source of information. A student receiving peer education told us "If your peer is talking, you would listen to them more. I learned my rights, and what to do or not do." Another said, "[Peer educators] get you more excited. Teachers are too mature, too serious to do things. Teenagers are serious too, but in a fun way."

The program also had a positive impact on the peer educators themselves. They developed great leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. They learned how to articulate appropriate responses to health and safety problems, and how to think on their feet. Their increased confidence and skill help in other areas of their lives. One peer educator described how she had participated in a classroom history debate for the very first time. "Before joining the peer ed program, I never would have had the nerve to speak up in class." We know the peer educators will continue to be great resources to their peers, their employers, and their coworkers.

—Diane Bush

Promoting peer education in your community

Participants in existing peer education programs may be interested in adding occupational safety and health to their agenda. Or, you may find people interested in starting a peer education group focused on this topic. Regardless of whether the workplace safety activity is integrated into an existing program or is new, an adult advisor must be present to provide the teens with ongoing training, support, and supervision.

The training should include information and resources on child labor laws, safety and health training requirements, and strategies for protecting young workers on the job. Reassure staff that they do not need to become safety and health experts. Occupational safety and health is similar to other health topics, requiring the ability to speak up in an effective manner, identify hazards, and develop simple prevention strategies.

You can provide the training yourself or find others in the community with expertise in safety and health and in training youth.

Brockton staff teams up with peer educators in the community

We discovered that two peer education groups associated with community organizations were already active in Brockton, so we decided to invite them to work with us on the project: a group at the Boys and Girls Club, and a group at Helpline, a social service organization where teens could call and speak anonymously with other teens about health issues. We provided these groups with training in workplace health and safety issues, and then they were ready to go. Because the teens were already experienced peer educators, they brought a lot of ideas and enthusiasm to the project.

—Robin Dewey

Help peer educator advisors include safety and health in their programs.

It may be helpful to provide ideas and resources for the following:

Establishing the program—Encourage the program sponsor to consider the following logistical issues:

• Recruiting peer educators
  
• Whether and how to pay the peer educators a stipend
  
• Finding the time for teachers or other advisors to supervise the peer educators
  
• Providing transportation to the teens
  
• Finding appropriate space

Inform the peer education sponsors about available resource materials. Encourage participatory methods such as skits, case studies, and games. To assist in their recruitment efforts, share with program sponsors the benefits peer educators derive from participating in the program, such as enhanced communication and leadership skills and increased self-confidence.

Training for peer educators—Peer educators need training in effective teaching techniques and problem-solving skills. In addition, they need information on the following:

• How to spot hazards and prevent injuries in a variety of workplaces
  
• Current laws and regulations affecting young workers
• Agencies and organizations that enforce the law and provide information and assistance to young workers.
  
• Effective teaching techniques and problem-solving skills (encourage participating methods such as skits, case studies, and games).

Recruiting peer educators at Oakland Tech

We formed a peer education partnership with Oakland Technical High School. First we went to the high school and presented the issue to teachers who were very supportive and invited us to speak to the students in class. Together, we recruited a group of 15 sophomores and juniors who were interested in teaching their peers about health and safety and their rights on the job. Over the summer, we held a series of workshops on health and safety, child labor laws, and participatory training methods. During the next school year, we continued to meet with the peer educators several times a month during lunch and after school. Eventually, the students conducted training seminars for more than 300 teens in classrooms at the high school. They reached an additional 200 teens through training workshops at the mayor's summer job training program and the school-to-career summer jobs internships.

—Diane Bush

Identifying teaching opportunities—Peer educators can teach in a variety of settings, including high school classes, PTA meetings, after-school workshops, job training programs, community meetings, and health clinics. They can also reach other teens by writing articles for the school or community newspaper and creating posters and display boards.

Los Angeles teens reach out to the community

Our peer educators from Jefferson High School were a big success in the community. During the course of the year, they developed skits about health and safety, sexual harassment, child labor laws, and workers' compensation, which they performed at neighborhood block club meetings, cultural celebrations, and English and citizenship classes. They also led a series of workshops to educate students and adults in the community about workplace issues.

—Linda Delp