Peer Education

Are you a young person who…

• wants to make a difference in your community?
• believes teenagers should have access to medically accurate information about their bodies and sexual health?
• is interested in public health, education, the medical field, reproductive justice, and/or advocacy?
• wants to educate your peers about healthy sexuality (including supportive relationships, contraceptive methods, LGBTQ+ identities, abstinence, reducing STIs and unintended pregnancy, consent, and more)?

If the answer is yes, you may be eligible to participate in Planned Parenthood’s Peer Education Program!

A PPMI peer educator is responsible for serving as a confidential, non-judgmental resource for peers on sexuality and reproductive health, providing accurate information and referrals, serving as a sexual health information resource to youth in their communities through one-on-one interactions, presentations in schools and in the community, and other PPMI events as assigned. Peer educators go through a mandatory 40-hour training and attend weekly meetings. The curriculum is interactive and thought provoking, covering such topics as self-esteem, relationships, substance misuse, sexuality, sexual orientation, anatomy, violence prevention, diversity, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and communication. The program gives teens the tools to make responsible choices and share accurate information with family and friends.

Peer Education uses a balanced and comprehensive approach that presents all the facts and encourages critical thinking. Young people learn to define and verbalize their own values and gain the ability to set their own boundaries within relationships. As one peer educator put it, "Peer Education opened up my eyes to the pressures I face and the facts I can get to stay safe and healthy."

To be eligible to be a peer educator, you must be in 9th–12th grade in any of the following high school programs: public, private, charter, home, trade, alternative, or early college program. You must live in and/or attend school in one of the counties where we have a peer education program:

• Kalamazoo County
• Kent County
• Washtenaw County
• Wayne/Oakland/Macomb Counties

Have questions? Send us an email or call us 734-926-4800 ext. 4605.