I live in a small town in Georgia, but it's not all white picket fences. We have drug abuse, academic problems, and abuse problems in the community especially with the middle and high school students. There is always a drug bust in our county every other week and if we were able to speak to our peers and give them the help they need the drug abuse rate would drop. A problem that ties in with the drug problem is the academic problems at the school. In past years, the school use to be at the top in academics, but now scores are so low that we are a "needs improvement school". One of the worst situations the schools are going through right now is abuse. The top abuses at my school are bullying and dating, but both are more on a physical level. There's not one day that goes by that a girl isn't hiding a bruise her boyfriend gave her.

I figured that if we started a peer mentoring program, because a teenager is more prone to talk to another teenager about his/her problems, the problems would deminish and the community would regain a better reputation. Our peer mentoring program would focus on other students with problems such as abuse, friend troubles, dating relationships, homelessness, adoption/foster care adjustments, test taking skills, homework help, note taking tips, etc., The mentors will use their experiences to help their peers through the same/similar problems. We are hoping the strength that each member possess will guide the mentees through their problems so they may make wise decisions and produce a positive reaction. In turn, the mentees would choose a more positive lifestyle and they too would want to make a difference in the community. We would then see a domino affect throughout the community making it a better place.

I have organized an outstanding group of student mentors and started conducting meetings about what needs to be done and how to do it. We will have the faculty help us determine who should be in the program to involve students who really have a problem instead of getting those who are just lazy(we do need to help them, but first we would like to help those who are in an actual situation). We will then develope a system of how to better communicate with the mentees by placing them with a mentor who is more compatable with their problems. The mentors will work with the mentees on an academic and behavioral basis to help the students understand that they are not alone, conflict happens everyday, and they can do better and become someone. We also are going to be active in a Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Week Nov. 11-Dec. 4 to teach that dating abuse is everywhere and can happen to anyone. We plan on doing dress up days and activities involved in dating abuse awareness.

We just now started on the program and we are in need of supplies such as student manuals on peer mentoring and we need someone who is trained to help teach the student mentors more about how to handle peer problems and the best ways to help solve them without doing everything for the mentee(we understand that the mentee must go about solving their problems themselves and that we are here only to guide them through tough situations).