Katie Zeiler, Tiffany Sherbert, Carol Stone and Jan Brannon

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Amigos Positivos Peer Mentors,” is a peer mentoring program that pairs successful Spanish speaking 10^th- to 12^th-grade high school students with Hispanic middle school preteens. These sixth-grade preteens are at-risk, bilingual students who speak English as a second language and who benefit from the extra help and encouragement of supportive and caring peer relationships. The teachers say that the high school mentors possess a particular understanding of the issues that many at-risk middle school youth face every day with a fresh and more experienced perspective. Meeting as a group on a monthly basis, the middle school participants explore ways to develop effective communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills with the older teens that will pave the way for their success as they enter high school and beyond. The high school participants in turn benefit from giving back to younger peers, building confidence and self-esteem in the leadership experience as they serve as a catalyst for more active and positive engagement among their middle school counterparts.