Peer To Peer Mentoring Project Brought to you

Peer To Peer Mentoring Project Brought to you by your APRIL Youth Peer Project Steering Committee Mike Beers, Summit Independent Living, MT Chiaki Gonda, Research and Training Center on IL, KS Carrie Greenwood, Kansas Youth Empowerment Academy, KS Alex Jackson, Disability Resource Center, SC Mary Olson, Summit Independent Living Center, MT Sierra Royster, Alliance of Disability Advocates, NC

History of the Project � Overview of CIL to CIL and SILC to SILC ◦ Team of seasoned CIL and SILC directors as mentors to sites on scholarship ◦ 2 day site visit for training and technical assistance ◦ Mentorship for next year with frequent contact � Hopefully strong relationship develops for constant mentorship and guidance � Youth Peer-to-Peer project ◦ Developed 2009 APRIL youth pre-conference ◦ 100% youth ran and youth focused ◦ Filling a need for building strong youth programs ◦ Developed and shaped with youth advocates from NC, SC, KS, and MT. ◦ Supported by Easter Seals ACTION, Research and Training Center on IL, and APRIL

Recruiting 101 Tips to get started! � Have a way to contact you directly � Have what you are going to offer put together- at least a prototype � Dress for success- but know your audience � NO JARGON!- explain the acronyms! � Decide on basic info of who, what, where, when, why before contacting school ◦ ◦ Social mentoring group? Classes? Both? Presentation?

Recruiting 101 Tips for working with Schools � Who do you know? ◦ Contact that employee first! ◦ If not- contact the next logical person � (special ed teacher, voc prep teacher, counselor, history teacher, cold call the principal) � Ask to present at departmental meetings! � Emphasize why they should talk to you � Market! Bring a flier of the program, brochure of your center. . � If a school invites you in for a specific need, use that as a door and add services you can provide � Build trust through continued communication! � Familiarize yourself with school district websites � Go to transition fairs/make connections!

Recruiting 101 Tips for working with Schools � Thank yous to teachers! � Stay on the teachers radar!

Recruiting 101 Tips for youth � Refer to students as students or by their name- steer clear of kiddo, kids, children etc. � Don’t try to use lingo if you are not in with the generation- they will spot an imposter � If you make a promise, follow through! � Interest Surveys (find out what they want from them)! � Offer a student-eye catching info flier � Don’t dress to “serious” � Be Excited! � Be Real and Believable! � Email/phone reminders to students before gatherings/events!

Recruiting 101: Where else can you go? � Check with adult consumers with students in high school for connections � Check with you center to try to get in touch with any youth consumers ◦ Find out what these youth want )maybe interest survey

Recruiting 101: Where else can you go? ◦ YLF ◦ After school programs � Boys and Girls club �girl/boy scouts, �big brothers big sisters, �tutoring programs, �flagship ◦ Wheelchair basketball teams etc. ◦ YMCA/special olympics ◦ Vocational Rehab ◦ College disability advocacy groups ◦ Youth homes ◦ Foster groups ◦ High school clubs ◦ Respect clubs ◦ Disability specific groups and support groups ◦ PTA’s and Parent groups ◦ Libraries ◦ Local young person hang outs- bowling ally, parks, ◦ CDC ◦ Home Community Based Services ◦ School Hallways! ◦ Paratransit Bus’s ◦ OPI websites

Recruiting 101: Advertising � Social networking sites ◦ Twitter ◦ Facebook �Search for schools on facebook too! ◦ Youtube � Press Packet � Collect testimonials from teachers and students � Give small presentations in classes ◦ Partner with an ally! (YLF, disability Mentoring Day, Etc. )

Five to Live By for a successful youth program 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Turn the sense of control over to the youth (empower) FUN! Peer Mentoring/Modeling Invoke Emotion/Passion Model Inclusivity and Create Community

Empowering Youth To Control � Why? Youth invest in the program! � Activity: Creating Guidelines for Success � Activity: Creating Parameters of the Group ◦ ◦ ◦ People with and without disabilities? Age? Where will we meet? When will we meet? How many times a month? What’s our focus? Advocacy? Social? Mentoring? All? �Advocacy: What are issues affecting young people with disabilities in your area that you want to work on?

Empowering Youth To Control � Don’t impose what you think they are capable of ◦ When they are goal setting as an individual or goal setting as a group Nay Sayer facilitators please don’t apply! � Get constant feedback from youth! � Give them Choices whenever possible

FUN! Why? More Retention, more buy in, and REMEMBER! Youth are busy, and they don’t want more homework, they want to be inspired. � As much as possible, turn “lecture” materials into activities! ◦ Example activities: Percentage is Right, communication egg toss, brainstorming as large group � Icebreakers and/or fun activities at each meeting ◦ Activity! Zombies, Icebreaker Ball, etc. � Include Food and or Snacks at each meeting ◦ Keeping in mind what time of day your meeting is � Have celebrations at the end!

FUN! Continued � Reward participation! ◦ Bring little treats, playdough, etc. � Use Humor! � Use examples that are fun and age appropriate: ◦ It’s not okay to laugh at disabilities- it is okay to laugh about the situations they put us in! The “common stories” bring us together and help us feel more comfortable ◦ Ex. for elementary aged: Finding Nemo, etc. � If you use “boring” video material, etc. try to pair it with something exciting too! (“crip culture” video, break up video with emotional discussion etc. )

Peer Mentoring/Modeling � � Why? Creating that trust and role model for young people to connect with creates buy in, community, and raises the expectations young people have of themselves. The facilitator must be: ◦ a person with a disability ◦ younger (as much as possible) ◦ Able to share experiences when appropriate that the youth may relate to. ◦ If at all possible have a person with an invisible and visible disability co-team! � Follow Through ◦ If you want them to follow through with the group/class, you have to follow through with promises you make.

Peer Mentoring/Modeling Cont. � Model people first language � Model disability etiquette ◦ Talk to the person not the interpreter, ask before you help, etc. ◦ Identify appropriate people to discuss these pieces if possible ◦ Person is the best expert on their life! � Encourage intergroup mentoring ◦ Use the diversity of the group! � Facilitator model positive attitude and energy

Invoke Emotion/Passion � Why? Think back on what got you involved and what kept you involved. ◦ I doubt it was a brochure that you kept coming back. Youth will keep coming back if it is something they feel passionate about � Disability History, Culture, and the Civil Rights Movement � Disability Current Events � Activities: Realistic/Unrealistic, Label Game, Stand Declare, square game, etc. � NOTE: The person presenting the information to the youth needs to have the emotion and passion. If they don’t find someone who does to present these pieces.

Invoke Emotion/Passion � Always end on a positive ◦ The emotional pieces may bring out negative experiences of the youth. Acknowledge them, and help them use that emotion to figure out what the next step is! Using the fire in the belly.

Modeling Inclusivity/ Creating Community � Why? A youth group is an extension of your IL Center, so it should also include all kinds of disabilities. The same goes for a classroom! �Make sure all activities are accessible or can readily be made accessible �Don’t be afraid of silence to give time for youth to answer �There is no Heirarchy of Disability here! �Note Deaf community

Modeling Inclusivity/ Creating Community � Why? Disability culture is different than others cultures because we can not always learn it from our parents- it is up to us to learn it from each other in our community IL History also fits here! Don’t be afraid to bring in guest speakers to talk. � You are not alone- encourage calling on the disability community in times of need � ◦ There are people in the community who may have had similar experiences as you, learn from them! ◦ Use the community like section 504 rallies “Power of 504” �“code talkers” of the deaf community � Civil Rights is an All Or Nothing Proposition ◦ If you fight for civil rights people with disabilities you can’t discriminate against other minority groups because our community has different ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders.

Modeling Inclusivity/ Creating Community Contd � As much as possible, integrate young people into your center. Hire them as staff, include them in your peer program, your volunteer program in advocacy activities you do, on your board social activities Invite them to conferences where available and applicable ◦ Include what the youth are doing in staff updates so the whole IL staff knows what is going on. ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Modeling Inclusivity/ Creating Community Contd � Integrate program “seasoned advocates” into the youth ◦ Share your stories with them of the taste, smell, sounds of your advocacy experience

Thank You’s and Aknowledgments Indiana Resource Center for IL Mary Leary and Project ACTION Easter Seals Dr. Glen White, Research and Training Center on IL Kathy Hatch and Billy Altom, APRIL � Thank YOU! Thank You

Questions?