{"id":76369,"date":"2019-06-05T10:24:43","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T08:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/ptpp-studenti-impressioni\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T15:47:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T13:47:10","slug":"ptpp-first-months-peer-counseling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/en\/school\/ptpp-first-months-peer-counseling\/","title":{"rendered":"Peer to Peer Players: students share their impressions after the first months of the peer-counseling service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A group of young peer-counselors is running a support service, online and face-to-face, dedicated to their schoolmates: it is the Peer to Peer Players platform<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Peer to Peer Players<\/a>\u00a0project, launched in February 2018 and financed by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Drugs Policies Department, is coordinated by CESIE in collaboration with the\u00a0Associazione Identit\u00e0 Sviluppo Integrazione (I.S.I.) Onlus<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Training Sciences of the Universit\u00e0 degli Studi di Palermo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main purpose<\/strong> of the project is to promote the responsible use of the web, limiting the access to dangerous sites and to the use of psychoactive substances, which can be found on the Internet. The ultimate aim is to increase the responsibility of young people towards their own health and that of their peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The peer-counselors, young students from two schools in the historical centre of Palermo, the Istituto Magistrale Statale \"Regina Margherita\" and the Liceo Scientifico Statale \"Benedetto Croce\"<\/strong>, after having voluntarily applied, were selected and trained by psychologists and web experts and started the consulting service, through an online platform, addressed to their schoolmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the training course, based on the Positive Youth Development approach and non-formal methodologies, the online first contact system<\/strong> was launched, with the creation of a free and anonymous interactive platform, through which students from the two schools involved can ask for support of any kind, satisfy their curiosity or ask for an opinion. The work of the peer-conselors is constantly supported and monitored through regular evaluation and monitoring meetings<\/strong> held by a team of trainers made up of web experts and psychologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the first meetings, interest and sense of involvement was shown by the young peer-counselors, who shared their impressions after the start of the support service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empathy<\/strong> has been the underlying concept of the periodic meetings that have taken place so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Empathy implies knowing ourselves in order to better understand others. Listening to understand\"<\/em> \u2013 says the University researcher who is part of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the students with peer-counselor roles have in fact underlined their feeling of greater awareness<\/strong> of what surrounds their world and how to relate with their peers; they have expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity they are having to support others and to increase their relational and listening skills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very useful information came out of the meetings, which helped to resolve concerns and doubts and formed the basis for the students themselves to create initiatives and moments of communication<\/strong>, both formal and informal, to promote the service and platform within schools and among their peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project will continue with the presentation and promotion of the service through information and awareness-raising events aimed at the two schools involved. The growth process won't end here, the competences of the peer-counselors will be strengthened <\/strong>through continuous comparisons and periodical meetings. Moreover, info-day<\/strong> sessions will be carried out also in other high schools of the city of Palermo, in order to spread information and knowledge about the world of the web as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peer to peer players<\/a> is a two-year project, funded by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers \u2013 Drug Policies Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Project partners are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n