Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentoring

The Peer Mentoring Program matches successful high school students as “Peer Mentors” to younger middle school or high school students in a peer relationship.

Peer Mentoring is available to all students in the Fresno Unified School District. The program ensures that targeted populations have an opportunity to be matched with the right mentor to support their needs and improve outcomes. Target populations are English Language Learners, Southeast Asians, African Americans, students in foster care, and students with chronic absenteeism.

The Peer Mentoring Program Includes:

Weekly Student Mentoring Sessions

Student-Led Tutoring and Homework Assistance

Team Building Field Trip Experiences

Service-Learning Community Projects

Paid Work Experience for Student Mentors

Peer Mentoring was not created to affect student suspension and/or attendance district-wide, but the student outcomes have shown promising results in these areas. Peer Mentoring has also had a positive impact on student’s social and emotional skills as indicated in the results from a Hybrid California Healthy Kids Survey.

Peer Mentoring provides students with many opportunities to build relationships with other students who need support, and the program helps develop their leadership skills through positive engagement in their school and community.

Peer Mentoring Impact and Accomplishments:

Over 500 students participate annually in the Peer Mentoring Program in after-school and/or virtual settings.

In the 2018-19 school year: 

Attendance Improvement:

      65% of chronically absent students improved their attendance during semester 1 of 2018-19, compared to semester 1 of 2017-18.

Suspension Reduction:

      83% of students with 3 or more suspension incidents in semester 1 of 2017-18 showed a decrease in suspension incidents compared to semester 1 of 2018-19.

In the 2019-20 school year:

Our focus was on creating an environment of student belonging and developing their social-emotional learning skills. 

        77% of Peer Mentoring students believed that there was an adult in mentoring who cared about them.* 

        88% of Peer Mentoring students believed that they were capable of learning anything.*

        77% of Peer Mentoring students believed that their mentors cared about them and each other.*

*Climate & Culture Survey- Spring/Fall 2019

In the 2021-22 school year:

The Peer Mentoring Program coordinated with English Learner Services to expand Peer Mentoring support. 

Peer Mentors participate in community service-learning projects annually with their Peer Mentees. They’ve partnered with Beautify Fresno to clean up neighborhoods in the Edison, Fresno, Roosevelt, Sunnyside, and McLane High School regions. 

Students helping students build a STRONGER Fresno!

Your support of this initiative paves the way for us to continue to operate, expand, and improve our Peer Mentoring Program.