The 2025 Spring Training Camp season has officially come to a close! Peer Leaders across the U.S. and Bermuda gathered with other regional teams to prepare their last PeerForward campaign of the year.
Seniors in New York, Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Kentucky, Texas, Maryland, and Bermuda, passed the Peer Leader torch to their juniors, readying them as they brainstormed and planned their final PeerForward campaign.
Solidifying their skills as advocates, each Training Camp began with pitch practice. Two Peer Leaders would compete in a “speech-off,” where they got to flex their public speaking skills in a minute-long, impromptu speech reiterating the importance of financial aid. They also offered each other feedback, exploring compelling points and small improvements. Amidst a barrage of potential changes for federal financial aid, it’s more important than ever for Peer Leaders to practice this crucial skill.
In the interest of providing a wealth of resources to support their success, PeerForward Coaches extolled alternative forms of financial aid, such as scholarships and grants. Students were given time to leverage the new PeerForward Scholarship search tool to identify an opportunity they’re eligible for and/or excited to apply to.
The PeerForward Workshop season starts in 3 months! Eager Peer Leaders used training camps to explore team dynamics and the characteristics that make a team most effective: trust, clarity, and dependability. Peer Leaders talked through their roles and bestowed trust upon the juniors to lead the events going forward, planning how they will execute their tasks at the next campaign activity.
The room was filled with energetic creativity as Peer Leaders looked to amplify their messages in our social media session. After brainstorming ideas for content, they used the additional time to plan and create content for upcoming campaigns. Excited to set themselves apart, Peer Leaders will use their content to compete for Social Media Team of the Year.
Of course, training camps aren’t complete without volunteers! We were lucky enough to have individuals from our PeerForward network, including Alumni and members of our Leadership Council, along with volunteers from Deloitte, McDermott, and Hunter College participate and engage with our students. They shared knowledge, expertise, and words of encouragement our Peer Leaders can carry with them for years to come.
We’re excited to see our junior Peer Leaders step up to the plate while the seniors prepare for graduation and what’s next after high school. They’re ready to create positive change in their schools and community, and we look forward to providing them with additional leadership training this summer at our Workshops!
