B efore arriving at UNC, all incoming students are expected to take at least two online modules designed to address major problems on college campuses before they are allowed to register for classes.
These modules are practical and reach the vast majority of freshmen and transfer students. But this comes at the cost of full engagement with the material, especially considering the volume of new information new students have to deal with.
Peer education is one of the answers to this problem. Trainings and events planned and executed by students are accessible as well as approachable. Translating technical language into easily digestible concepts allows for the effective delivery of information. They are also interactive in a way that online modules struggle to mimic, with in-person communication and the audience’s ability to ask questions.
Students who lead peer education events and interactive performances gain applicable skills and knowledge. According to a UNC study, educators for One Act showed an overall increase in pro-social behavior and decrease in acceptance of myths about rape.
But peer education should not be used in isolation. Rather, it should be used as a supplement to classroom education. Instructors should encourage students’ attendance of peer education events by offering extra credit or other incentives.
There are still topics not covered by UNC’s required trainings, such as healthy sex practices and environmental education. These could be tackled with peer education models. Students who are passionate about these causes should take the initiative to create new peer education programs.
