Peer Support on Camp
The Year 11 Peer Support Leaders played a formative role in guiding the Year 7 students’ growth throughout the camp experience. The Peer Support program places students at the centre of their learning to empower practical skills to positively navigate life and relationships. On camp, the Year 11 Leaders delivered a daily peer-developed program to foster connections within the group and address each day’s experiential learning aim. These included; creating belonging within the group, breaking down barriers and moving outside of one’s comfort zone, developing resilience and overcoming challenges, supporting each other to create unity, gratitude and reflection.
Both Emanuel and Camp Somerset staff were in awe of the leadership and care displayed by the 20 Peer Support Leaders. They should be immensely proud of the growth they both facilitated and experienced. It was a joy to see their different styles of leadership emerge and their deep appreciation for one another.
The students’ own words best evidence the power of this program:
To me, Peer Support means being a role model for the younger years and looking out for them in any way you can. It is all about helping them navigate their way through High School to gain an understanding of school life and the importance of building relationships. However, it also means learning from the Year 7 students and getting to know an amazing group of people, who while younger already have so many valuable life experiences to share and challenges that they have overcome. As society develops, younger people are having to deal with big issues earlier. Peer Support provides a platform to aid the understanding of what it means to be a young adult.
The most important lesson that I have learnt from this experience was that you are a leader in all aspects of life not only when you are running a program or peulah. At camp, you are a constant role model, so it is so important to practise what you preach and always be the best version of yourself. From this experience I have gained a greater appreciation for the relationships that I have created, not only with the Meir Tutor Group and with the other Year 7 students but also the relationships I have strengthened with my fellow Peer Support Leaders across the Houses. The ability to share our experiences and learn from each other is so important when navigating the challenge that is leadership, and discussing our shared experiences allowed us to grow as leaders and people.
By Isabella Filipczyk
Through this camp experience, I learnt so much about myself as a leader and how much I enjoy being a Peer Support Leader. I learnt the importance of finding a healthy balance between friend and leader and gained an understanding of how to employ empathy to help others, especially people who look up to you and who you are leading. Through this, I was able to support both myself and others on camp and try to incorporate things I learnt in hadracha (Year 10 Jewish Studies Leadership Elective) such as the idea that enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Going on Year 7 camp impacted my ideas of leadership as I saw first-hand the influence I have on the chanichim (students) and how my actions and behaviour deeply affect their actions and behaviour. I also discovered the importance of these Peer Support relationships and the role I have played in the transition into High School for the Year 7 students.
For me, Peer Support is more than just helping them transition into High School and goes beyond this first semester of Year 7. I want to leave these students with an understanding of who they are, both as individuals and as a Tutor Group.
Through camp, I was able to connect with each of the chanichim and learn how to best support them. Personally, when I was in Year 7, I had a very special connection with my Peer Support Leaders who made me feel safe and comfortable in my School, my friendships and in my own skin. This was a formative impact and shaped my desire to become a Peer Support Leader in Year 11. I hope that my chanichim gain a lot from this camp experience and our time together in Peer Support across the next two terms. I think that this is an extremely valuable aspect of Emanuel’s High School system and I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity to explore my leadership skills and make lasting impressions and connections with my chanichim.
By Eden Grynberg
