Critical Consciousness in High School Outdoor Experiential Environmental Education

Background: Research highlights how high school near-peer mentors (HSNPMs) in outdoor school settings enhance younger students’ programing experiences. Through this engagement, HSNPMs’ critical consciousness (CC) of equity in outdoor and experiential education (OEEE) expands. Purpose: This article explores how HSNPMs develop CC of environmental and social justice in OEEE. Methodology/Approach: We used critical ethnography to understand how near-peer mentoring programing associated with equity, diversity, access, and inclusion (EDAI) develop CC, in OEEE. Findings/Conclusion: Intentionally developed training and curricula rooted in social justice education facilitate CC development. This training includes staff's facilitation of equity discussions and support of high school students’ EDAI-related awareness, skills, and behaviors. Implications/Recommendations: HSNPMs contribute to EDAI in OEEE programs. We recommend including HSNPMs in staff training, program improvements, and planning activities.

The Impact of Reproduction Health Education Using Peer Mentoring Method Towards the Knowledge Level of Patients with Sexuality Transmitted Infection

Sexuality transmitted infections are often also reffered to as veneral diseases. The spread can be from blood, sperm, or can also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy and birth, and through the blood and body tissues. In addition, spread can also without sexual intercourse, it can be from the use of syringes repeatedly or alternately, among people, as well as the risk of transmitting infection. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of reproduction health education using peer mentoring method towards the knowledge level of patients with sexuality transmitted infection. The study used one group pretest-posttest design. The data was collected by using a questionnaire. The respondent was selected by using total sampling technique and 27 respondents were obtained. The data was analyzed by using the Wilcoxon test. The result of the  value = 0,000, which meant  value < α (α = 0.05) there was an effect of reproduction health education using peer mentoring method towards the knowledge level of patients with sexuality transmitted infection. For researchers, next expected can be used as information to developed a method of information in other research.

Peer Mentoring to Foster Resilient Age-Friendly Rural Communities in Maine

Maine has a growing number of age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs); 116 communities are actively working to adapt the social, service, and built environments for aging and 71 have formally joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. During COVID, rural municipalities were faced with dynamic changes that limited older resident’s access to services and social engagement. To overcome these limitations, it is critical for emergent AFCIs to have tools and strategies to maintain and further enhance healthy environments and resilient communities. This study uses group interviews with 6 leaders of established AFCIs and 6 leaders of emergent AFCIs to explore how the Lifelong Fellows Program, a peer mentoring model that matches experienced leaders with newly formed initiatives, was able to spur development of new strategies to build community resilience. Prominent themes were (1) engaging new local and regional partners; (2) intergenerational volunteerism; (3) fun and flexibility; and (4) relationship-building.