The Verona High School Peer Leaders have now met twice with their freshman groups – once in September and once in October –  in an effort to welcome the freshmen to the school.

Peer leaders are guides to the freshmen. Underclassmen can go to peer leaders with questions about high school, or any issues they are having. The intention of the program is to provide a friendly face for the underclassmen in the hallway.

“Be comfortable with us,” junior peer leader Sasan Hakimzadeh told his freshmen group. “The point of this is for you to have a familiar face when you’re walking around the school.”

Ms. Dana Lustig and Dr. Stacey Smith, the faculty advisors to the program, broke the students into groups, which were then assigned their peer leaders.

“Your goal is to have fun,” Ms. Lustig told the freshmen. “Your peer leaders are here to help guide you throughout the year.”

All of the groups partook in the same lesson plan. The groups did an ice-breaker, in which they learned more about their classmates.They played name games to get to know their groups.

Peer leadership is designed by Project Adventure Inc., and revolves around adventure-based counseling. “Adventure means trying something new, that you didn’t think you could do or might be uncomfortable doing. It is the excitement of playing, having fun, or solving a problem with a group of people.”

The program includes warm-up games, problem solving initiatives, and high and low ropes courses. It aims to build communication skills, conflict resolution, trust building, teamwork, problem solving, and risk-taking. The “challenge of choice” concept that is ingrained in the program encourages students to participate in a safe environment without being pressured into uncomfortable situations.

The peer leaders have to go through an in-depth application process, including a written application, interview, and recommendations. After being accepted, they go to a full day training session.

In their training, peer leaders are encouraged to take the “full value commitment,” an agreement to interact in a manner that promotes positive values.

The upperclassmen peer leaders meet with their freshmen groups once a month during gym classes.

“It’d be fun to do when we’re older,” said freshman Kate Stanisci. “It’s a good experience.”

“”I was really nervous at first,” said senior peer leader Alex Klysa. “I was worried [the freshmen] could be standoffish, but they opened up. We just have to work at making the lessons more accessible.”