Peer Educators are young people who provide support to other young people by listening, supporting, referring, and giving information about health and staying safer. They are volunteers who reach out to peers in their school or community to provide accurate information, resources, and links to services in their communities. They are the bridge for connecting their peers with what they need.
Peer Education Training is offered in Winnipeg at our office and in schools and communities all over Manitoba. As well, some Regional Health Authorities organize regional training with youth from multiple communities/schools in one training. The youth share information and resources with their peers, communities, and schools. If you’d like to book a Peer Education Training for your own school, community, or region, e-mail us at PeerEd@serc.mb.ca or call us at 204-982-7800 (SERC Winnipeg office).
We offer Winnipeg-based training in the spring, summer, fall, and winter at our office. Are you 13-18 years old and interested in joining the next Peer Education Training? Email us at PeerEd@serc.mb.ca, or call us at 204-982-7800.
Upcoming Training
![[White text over purple background] Peer Ed Summer Training Monday, Aug. 19-Thursday, Aug. 22, 10 am - 4 pm SERC Winnipeg office, 167 Sherbrook Street, 2nd Floor Ages 13-18. Peer Educators are young people who provide support to other young people by listening, supporting, referring, and giving information about health and staying safer. Registration is FREE and includes 4 days of Peer Ed Training, bus tokens, and lunch. To register, email PeerEd@serc.mb.ca.](https://teentalk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Peer-Ed-Summer-Training-FB.jpg)
Peer Educator Summer Training
When: Monday, August 19- Thursday, August 22, 10 am – 4 pm
Where: SERC Winnipeg office, 167 Sherbrook St., 2nd floor.
Ages: 13-18
We are also available for in-school training or support for existing groups. Please e-mail us at PeerEd@serc.mb.ca or call us at 204-982-7800 to further discuss your group’s needs.
Peer Education Training
- What to Expect
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Peer Education training is an in-depth 32-35 hour training for people ages 14-18 who are interested in learning about sexuality, sexual and reproductive health like birth control and sexually transmitted infections, healthy/unhealthy relationships, mental health, suicide prevention, diversity, substance use, communication and other issues young people face. Each session usually covers one topic and includes activities, games, stories, discussions, and/or hands-on learning.
Our Winnipeg based training at our office is FREE of charge. We also provide snacks and bus tokens. If you would like to take the training please contact us and we will add your name to our list.
If you know any other young people who might be interested in this program, please pass along this information. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
- Peer Education Manual 2019
- Our Peer Education Manual is a book full of activities and information that focuses on all of the topics we cover during our training. It also includes an action planning section that focuses on how to get involved or plan events in your own community/school.
Download the full Peer Education Manual 2019 (print in booklet format).
- After the Training
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After the training, Teen Talk can provide you with support and encouragement to use your improved knowledge, communication skills and leadership abilities in order to help your peers and take action in your schools and communities. You can connect with other Peer Educators from around your community to make a difference. This could include working on resources to help other people, zines, craft nights and more! Check out the full list of Peer Education volunteer activities below for more info.
Peer Education can count towards volunteer hours you may need to do as part of your schoolwork. It’s also a good chance to get some work experience to put on your resume and we’re always happy to provide job references for our volunteers.
With the support of Teen Talk you’ll also have a chance to continue learning and developing skills through special presentations. Plus we love to celebrate our successes with the occasional volunteer appreciation party.
What some Peer Educators have to say about the program
The group who participated in Summer 2023
Peer Education Volunteer Activities
- Resource Locker
- Do you like being the bearer of gifts? Then start a resource locker!
Fill your locker up with pamphlets, information, Band-Aids and condoms and hand them out to people in need.
What you need:
- Permission from school administration, like the guidance counsellor or principal.
- A locker in your school.
- At least 1 trained Peer EducatorPeer Educator in the school to run the locker.
What we can do:
- Send a letter to your school administration if you are having trouble getting permission to have a locker in your school.
- Give you supplies during the year to keep your locker stocked.
Supplies for the locker include:
- band-aids
- tampons and pads (your school will need to cover the cost of replenishing these)
- condoms and lube
- lots of great zines and handouts
- a Peer Education Manual
If you are a Peer Education volunteer and would like to start a resource locker in your school, contact Peer Education (SERC Winnipeg office) at 204-982-7800 or e-mail: youtheducation@serc.mb.ca
- Zine
- Do you have a creative funky bend to you? Then help us create a zine!
A zine is a little publication filled with youth artwork, poetry, stories and information about a specific topic. We already have zines about Body Image, Substance Use, Mental Health, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Relationships. These zines get distributed to hundreds of youth across the province of Manitoba through Teen Talk, are given to Peer Educators to hand out, and are kept in-stock in Peer Education Resource Lockers.
- Activist Days
- Do you love to march and parade?
Come join us as we do things like march against violence, dance on the streets to promote Pride or walk to raise awareness for HIV.
- Volunteer Appreciation Parties
- That’s right! We love to celebrate our Peer Education Volunteers.
Teen Talk has special events just for Peer Educators where we play fun games, eat a lot of awesome food, sometimes have karaoke, and have gifts for everyone. At the end of the school year we like to celebrate Peer Educators again, this means more gifts, more games, more food and more party! These are also awesome opportunities to meet up with Peer Educators from other trainings and other areas of the city.
Peer Education Volunteers Rule!
- Bathroom Betty & Johnny
- Do you love to educate others?
Bathroom Betty and Johnny (BBJ) may be just up your alley. Set up a program in your school.
Bathroom Betty and Johnny is a program run by Peer Educators in their schools. Basically you put up blank question sheets in bathrooms or a question box in the school guidance area, wait for questions to get written down, then take those questions and answer them, either on your own, with help from our Learn About section, assistance from guidance staff, a public health nurse, or you could even send us the questions to answer for you.
Naturally, youth have questions about sex, sexuality, and all that other stuff, but they don’t always want to go up to a Peer Educator for information. BBJ is your chance to reach more students with information that they want or need.
Need help getting the school on board? Send them to the “Tool Kit” in Resources for Service Providers for all the info they need.
Click here for a few examples of Bathroom Betty & Johnny questions.
- Doing Your Own Thing
- Can’t commits to one of our programs? No time for on-going volunteer work? That’s cool, you can do something on your own, with Peer Educators in your school or with friends.