Peer Education

Although they’re not staff, our high school Peer Educators are a vital part of the organization. They help Bridgercare provide education to youth and increase their comfort level in learning about sexual health and healthy relationships. They also encourage their teens friends and family to go to Bridgercare’s weekly Teen Clinic and sometimes accompany them.  

Learn about the basics of topics like puberty, STIs, birth control, healthy/unhealthy/abusive relationships characteristics, consent, and sexual assault/coercion prevention, bystander intervention, and more in order to educate peers with accurate information! 

Provide advocacy when working with survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence. Learn to advocate for other important topics and groups such as destigmatizing sex and relationships for teens, and the importance of access to comprehensive and developmentally appropriate sexual education for all ages.  

Refrain from giving their own opinion yet rather provide factual information that empowers everyone to make choices that align with their personal values and future goals. They also learn how to keep personal values out of conversations and provide facts rather than opinions to peers.  

Studies show that teens are more likely to share information about topics such as sex and abuse with friends and peers rather than trusted adults. Peer Eders are trained to refer peers to appropriate services and maintain confidentiality in these situations. We also ensure that our Peer Eders know how to access their own support systems after these tough conversations.