Mariposa County schools launch new peer mentoring and leadership programs

The Mariposa County Unified School District’s Student Services Department has announced the development of new peer support programs.

Next year, Mariposa County High School will roll out two new peer support A-G elective course offerings.

Grizzly Guides is a course focused on leadership and communication with an emphasis on mentorship of freshman students at MCHS.

The course is designed to ease the transition to high school, strengthen school connectedness and support students’ academic and social-emotional success.

Additionally, a second A-G course embedded within the Careers in Medicine pathway will include mentorship opportunities for high school students to work with junior high students.

The course is designed to increase leadership opportunities for MCHS students while helping intermediate-grade students build effective communication skills, strong study habits and confidence in navigating life’s challenges.

While MCHS will serve as the initial launch site for these two new elective courses, the goal is to expand peer mentoring, leadership and student support opportunities throughout Mariposa County schools.

Other county schools will begin planning and developing their own peer support programs in the coming year.

These new peer mentoring courses and programs have been made possible through a three-year grant from the Commission on Behavioral Health and a partnership with Mariposa County Behavioral Health.

Peer support programs have been shown to be highly effective in improving student outcomes.

Research indicates that peer-led, interactive programs are significantly more effective than traditional adult-led approaches in preventing substance use, including tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Additionally, peer leadership models have demonstrated positive impacts in reducing risky behaviors while increasing student engagement and sense of belonging.

Research has also shown that students who feel connected to their school and have positive peer relationships demonstrate stronger attendance, improved academic engagement and better social-emotional outcomes.

These principles are central to the design of Mariposa County’s new peer support programs.

In May, MCUSD district office staff from multiple schools, Mariposa County Behavioral Health, the Mariposa County Substance Use Disorder team and Mariposa Safe Families participated in a two-day Peer Support Program Development training led by Hilary Roberts, M.Ed., of Peer Advocacy Training & Consulting.

This cross-agency participation highlighted a shared commitment to supporting youth through coordinated, community-based efforts.

During the training, staff engaged in hands-on practice with the peer support curriculum, exploring strategies for recruiting and training student peer leaders, facilitating supportive conversations and maintaining appropriate boundaries.

The training emphasized creating safe, inclusive environments where students feel seen, heard and supported by their peers.

A special guest, Larry Bryant—a Mariposa County High School graduate—also contributed to the training.

Bryant shared insights from his experience developing and running a successful peer support program at Golden Sierra High School in El Dorado County.

“The school-based peer support community across California has been incredibly generous in sharing resources and best practices,” said Dana Swarth, Peer-to-Peer Program Coordinator.

“This training is just the beginning of building sustainable programs that truly meet the needs of our students.”

As schools begin implementing these programs, the goal is to empower students as leaders, strengthen peer-to-peer connections, improve academic and social-emotional outcomes, increase career readiness and create school communities where every student feels connected and supported.