Introducing Peer Navigator: A Near Peer Mentorship Program for Maine Youth!
By Julianne Riley
Edited by Mikayla Doyle
Exciting Announcement!
Maine Youth Action Network is excited to announce the launch of our near peer pilot program, Peer Navigator! We are opening referrals for middle and high-school-aged youth in Maine who want to connect with a college-aged near peer mentor. Participants of the program can expect to meet with their mentor to discuss their passions, goals, and explore opportunities. The Peer Navigator program was originally developed by youth leaders who participated in MYAN’s youth workforce development program, Gateway to Opportunity. We are thrilled to begin accepting referrals and sign-ups for young people interested in joining. For more information or to get involved, see the resources section at the end of this post.
Why near peer programming?
There is a popular saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who.” Social connections are indeed vital access points to professional opportunities.
However, this long-standing axiom overlooks something important: personal relationships are often a key resource in building expertise. This is especially true for the kind of insider knowledge that can’t be found in a textbook, such as which organizations are open to receiving a cold call to ask about internship opportunities that are not posted on their website. Near peer relationships are a uniquely valuable resource for young people, in part because of their ability to provide both integral career-building skills and access to social connections (i.e., to build both what and who you know).
What are near peer relationships?
Near peers are relatively close in age to the young people they work with or have recently gone through a similar experience (such as applying to college or job searching). For example, a college student teaching a health course to high school students would be considered a near peer. The idea is that young people slightly removed from an event or life stage have both recent memories of how it felt, and insight gleaned through their experience to draw from. As a result, they are uniquely positioned to offer guidance and support to youth, who may find them easier to relate to than adults. Research suggests that in a near peer mentoring relationship, this difference in age is a critical component in achieving positive outcomes (1).
What are the benefits of near peer relationships?
To many of us that have experienced a near peer relationship, even if informally (perhaps an older classmate helped you navigate a new academic environment, or a teammate ran drills with you outside of practice), the benefits seem intuitive: a close relationship, valuable insider information, and personalized recommendations. The research bears this out.
When youth-serving programs incorporate near-peer relationships, young people experience meaningful, positive impacts. Emerging research shows that near peer relationships provide benefits in two key areas: social connectedness and access to resources. Positive outcomes include increased social connectedness and feelings of belonging, positive identity formation, and social-emotional skill development (1, 2).
In addition, near peer relationships offer substantial support around career and educational goal attainment. Near peers make connections to employers, help youth find valuable resources and information, and support youth in developing key educational and career readiness skills (3). In fact, a recent assessment of programs designed to increase youth educational-and-occupational-relevant social capital found that near peers provided youth with more resources than program staff or same-age peers (3). The benefits of near peer relationships aren’t limited to the youth served. Near peer mentors report identity shifts, more positive views of helping others, and increased social support from fellow mentors (1). Schools that implement near peer mentoring see a reduction in bullying and social exclusion (1). In short, near peer relationships not only provide important social, educational, and career benefits to program participants, they also benefit near peers and institutions in which said programs are implemented.
How are near peer relationships fostered?
The positive youth outcomes of near peer relationships are clear, but the context of these relationships matters. Emerging research in this area shows that intentional program design and implementation are essential to achieving positive outcomes.
The National Mentoring Resource Center’s program recommendations provide research-informed guidance on the key features of successful initiatives. They recommend that near peer mentoring programs center the relationship as the primary focus, prioritize youth leadership in program conceptualization and delivery, and engage adult staff to champion the cause and curate the mentor and mentee experience (1).
How can I get involved in MYAN’s new Peer Navigator near peer mentoring program?
If you, or a young person you know, are interested in enrolling in MYAN’s new near peer mentoring program, Peer Navigator, see the resources below!
How can I learn more about near peer initiatives in Maine?
To see examples of how near peer initiatives have been implemented for young people in various age groups across Maine, check out the following programs:
And if you’d like to create a profile on Maine Youth Connect — an online platform launched by Maine Youth Action Network to support MYAN's virtual mentoring programming, connect young people to others with shared interests, and build young people's professional networks and access to professional development opportunities — click here!
Sources:
Peer Mentoring Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring, National Mentoring Resource Center
PEER CONNECTIONS REIMAGINED: Innovations nurturing student networks to unlock opportunity, Christensen Institute
How Near Peer Relationships Help Young People Develop Social Capital, Search Institute