Peer Education is an approach to health promotion in which students are trained to promote health-enhancing knowledge and skills among their peers. These Peer Educators serve as positive role models to their fellow students while providing opportunities and information to engage in healthy decision-making, behaviors, and personal and community connections.

Student Health Service has two peer education groups:

• Campus Well-being Educators(CWEs) – This peer education group is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyle choices for NDSU students through health and well-being programming and campus outreach with support of the President’s Council for Campus Well-being.
• Violence Prevention Educators(VPEs) – This peer education group is focused on educating the campus community on awareness and prevention of power based personal violence with an emphasis on sexual violence, dating violence and stalking.

Peer Educator programs are based on the belief that students are highly effective in influencing the health attitudes and behaviors of other students. They are valuable in identifying risky behaviors, providing opportunities and information for health behavior change, and serve as role models while correcting misinformation and misperceptions among their fellow students. Peer education makes use of peer influence in a positive way. Students of all ages are faced with making personal decisions about health and safety. Developing positive decision-making skills impacts student life and prepares students to enter the real world and the greater community to promote healthy and safe lifestyles.

To learn more about peer education on campus visit our Health Promotion Peer Education Program Handbook