Peer Education is a great way to Connect! with the Scottish Parliament.
Aim: To support young people to find out more about the Scottish Parliament and how they can get involved in making changes about issues that matter to them.
Peer Education: We would love young people to help us in our Outreach work by talking to other young people and sharing their knowledge in a peer education session.
Here’s how the Connect! Peer Education Project works with our support in 5 simple steps:
Step 1 - SIGN UP TO BE FACILITATORS: Young people aged 16-25 sign up to be ‘Facilitators’. Groups of facilitators would usually consist of 3-5 young people, but this may vary. Facilitators can be part of a group already, aiming to deliver their session to the other members, or individuals looking to share knowledge with other young people in their local area.
Step 2 - RECEIVE TRAINING: The group would take part in Facilitation Training aimed at giving them skills, information and ideas to enable them to share knowledge about the Scottish Parliament in an interactive and confident peer-led session. This can happen in your local area with someone from the Scottish Parliament visiting you, or at the Parliament itself in Edinburgh.
Step 3 – PLAN YOUR OWN SESSION: The group would design and create their own unique session.
Step 4 - PROMOTE YOUR SESSION: The group would promote their session to local young people in order to spread the word, either to the group they are already a member of or by recruiting a group to take part in their Connect! peer education session.
Step 5 - DELIVER YOUR SESSION: The Facilitators would deliver their own session in their local area.
Listen to Frances, Learning Resources Officer, chatting about Connect! below.
Connect! – A Short Introduction by ScotParl
What does a Connect! Peer Education session involve?
Connect! Peer Education sessions are developed by young people, for young people.
This short video, which features a group from South Lanarkshire's Universal Connections Youth Council, explains what's involved.
Why some of our Peer Educators got involved:
"To learn essential peer educative skills, further knowledge of (Scottish) Parliament...and have a cracking day!"
"To learn something new, feel more confident when speaking to others and to have fun."
"To get to know the group better and enhance my skills for planning a group peer education presentation or workshop."
"Being able to handle a large group of people more easily."
"To engage people so they don't get bored!"