Campus Outreach:

Peer Educator Program

Mission

More than 90 percent of APU students report being overwhelmed in the past 12 months, and more than 50 percent report feeling hopeless at times. Many people suffer alone and do not want to reach out for help. The Peer Educator Program aims to address this problem by raising awareness, reducing stigma, and equipping the APU community with wellness resources.

Internship Position

In this on-campus volunteer internship, Peer Educators receive intensive training and ongoing supervision on mental health and wellness topics from Counseling Center staff. This helps students learn skills and develop professionally, especially for those considering graduate school in helping or health promotion fields.

Peer Educators then get to use these skills to collaborate with different groups across campus to deliver educational presentations on mental health and wellness topics. For example, Peer Educators get to work on projects such as National Suicide Prevention Day, National Depression Screening Day, the Cougars Care Workshop Series, and much more.

Additionally, Peer Educators have the opportunity to generate physical and social media campaigns around the APU campus to promote mental health and wellness in the campus community. For example, Peer Educators get to develop content for the Counseling Center Instagram account, design signage for around campus, and brainstorm creative ideas to promote increased wellness.

This internship meets the field experience requirement for APU psychology majors, but it is open to all students who wish to apply.

Learning Objectives

Peer Educators:

  1. Understand the mental health challenges facing college students, including problems related to stigma.
  2. Learn how to identify and apply for the right graduate school program or psychology-related job that fits their career goals.
  3. Develop the leadership and communication skills to succeed in large presentations and small-group projects.

Requirements

Peer Educators commit to:

  • A full academic year of service (100 hours per semester for two semesters)
  • Fall semester 2-day intensive orientation (August, dates TBD)
  • Weekly group supervision and office hours (Fridays, 1-4 p.m.)
  • Facilitating educational presentations to the campus community on a flexible schedule
  • Compliance with the Student Leadership Covenant and commitment to professionalism

How to Apply

Applications are open now and hiring of qualified candidates will proceed in a first come first served basis until positions are filled. Submit your completed Peer Educator Application 2023-24 (PDF) and résumé to ucc@apu.edu to apply.

Call (626) 815-2109 or email ucc@apu.edu for more information.

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