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The Peer Power course (Women's Studies 389)
is scheduled for Spring, 2006.

Women’s Studies, Women Student Services/The Multicultural Center, and The Women’s Place are so-sponsors of the new Peer Power Living Learning Program in Baker East residence hall. The pilot program begins Autumn 2005, with plans for students to take up residency in Baker East beginning Autumn 2006. This LLP will provide students of all genders, from a wide range of backgrounds and variety of academic disciplines, an opportunity to explore issues around gender and to make friends in a supportive community. The guiding concept is the fostering of a community of equals and peers, both in this LLP and in wider social cultures.

Events planned for Autumn 2005 include the Welcome Week kickoff, a field trip to see the Broadway-in-Columbus presentation of Hairspray, and a movie night.

Generally, students will take either WS 101 or 110 (both of which meet a GEC requirement) for an introduction to the study of gender. Participants also will take a WS 389 level course designed to train them in the Peer Power outreach program. Peer Power training will enable students to strengthen their leadership skills by becoming facilitators and/or designers of presentations and workshops that introduce gender studies topics to middle school, high school, and college students. Students also will have the option of enrolling as a cluster in English 110 and enrolling in freshman seminars specifically designed for members of the LLP.

Background

It is not uncommon for undergraduate students to feel that they personally are changed by their participation in an introductory women's studies course. Many of these students are just beginning a process of developing a feminist consciousness and applying a new lens through which to analyze the social world. In addition to expanding thinking and reasoning skills, the women's studies academic experience often instills in students a desire to help promote social change through sharing their learning with others.

Often, undergraduate students in introductory courses express frustration about the absence of "women's studies-like" consideration in their earlier formal education. While there has been much growth in women's studies at the collegiate level over the past thirty years, a women's studies approach is rarely utilized at earlier educational levels. Although faculty and graduate students are as responsive as possible to requests from secondary school educators for topical presentations with a feminist perspective, both time constraints and "distance" from a secondary school audience reduce the effectiveness of efforts to bridge the "women's studies-like" gap in earlier education.

Thus the idea of a women's studies peer outreach program grew out of undergraduate student energy and motivation, making it possible for the introduction of women's studies perspectives at earlier levels of formal education.

Description - Peer Power

Peer Power is a peer education program originally initiated by students active in the Women's Studies Undergraduate Forum. Affiliated with the Department of Women's Studies at The Ohio State University, Peer Power provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to broaden their learning and to share acquired knowledge with their peer group and others close in age and/or experience. Following established models for peer outreach, Peer Power enables undergraduates to become facilitators and designers of presentations and workshops that introduce women's studies topics to middle and high school students. Formal and rigorous training is provided for Peer Power students through a course offered by the Department of Women's Studies. Peer Power reflects the commitment of all involved -- from the Department of Women's Studies to The Ohio State University and including the most valuable component -- the students.

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Highlights

Framwork

• Peer Power is housed within the Department of Women's Studies
• Peer Power presenters complete a 300-level course through the Department
• Peer Power is supported by a full-time Director, a Graduate Assistant, an administrative assistant on an as-needed basis and a volunteer coordinator who provides scheduling services to local schools and other audiences.
• Financially supported in part by The Department of Women's Studies, Peer Power has also acquired independent funding through University seed grants and a grant from The Columbus Foundation.  Other outside sources of financial support are being explored and developed continuously.

Pilot Program

• Students met throughout the Winter and Spring of 1998 to develop the concept of a women's studies peer outreach program.
• Approximately twelve to fifteen students attended meetings and contributed to the design of an introductory presentation focused on learning gender.
• Eight students participated in presenting two workshops for "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" on April 23, 1998. Each workshop was attended by approximately ten girls.
• Four students participated in presenting a "Learning Gender" workshop for approximately twenty-five high school seniors in a sociology class at Thomas Worthington High School on May 15, 1998 Seed money for the program's development was acquired from OSUCARES and University Outreach & Engagement.

Peer Power

• The concept of peer outreach was formally realized through the introduction of Women's Studies 494 "Theory and Practice of Peer Outreach in Women's Studies," in Autumn 1999, Approximately fifteen students completed the first course.
• During Autumn 1999, several new presentations were developed by the students in WS494.
• Over forty presentations were provided by Peer Power students in area middle and high school classrooms during Winter quarter of 2000.
• Peer outreach facilitators joined over 800 middle and high school students in thirty-two classrooms for Peer Power presentations during Winter quarter of 2000.
• Thirty-five students enrolled for Spring 2000, completing forty-seven presentations and reaching approximately 600 middle and high school students.
• In July 2000, Peer Power was awarded a grant from The Columbus Foundation, enable the program to begin work on a web site and program evaluation, and to continue development and enhancement of presentation materials.
• In August 2000, the Women's Studies Department initiated the process of acquiring a permanent course for the Peer Outreach program, requesting approval of WS389.
• In Autumn 2000, fifteen students were enrolled in WS494, they presented thirty-two presentations to middle and high schools and seventeen presentations to new students at The Ohio State University through the Contemporary Issues Lecture Series offered by the University College.
• The Peer Power program received a $20,000 grant from the Battelle Endowment for Technology and Human Affairs (BETHA). The grant enables Peer Power to develop a research-based presentation for middle and high school students on "Gender and Technology." The funding will also support the development of a "Gender and Technology" Web siteand the creation of powerpoint supplements for existing Peer Power presentations. In addition, BETHA funds enable the program to purchase critical technology resources, such as a computer workstation with printer and scanner, and the laptop and slide projector required for powerpoint. Ultimately, the BETHA funding will permit the program to enhance its impact on middle and high school students, both in the Columbus area and in cyberspace.