BACCHUS Supports Student Leadership on Local and National Levels

The BACCHUS name is recognized nationally and garners respect from leaders in the health and higher education fields. By naming your peer education group BACCHUS, your group will be associated with the history, respect and national impact of The BACCHUS Network™. If your group has a name or acronym that ties you to your campus, simply use the tag line, “A campus affiliate of The BACCHUS Network™.” You will find that a group of student peer educators who are affiliated with a national organization for support, yet are able to keep their own identity, enhances your campus program in many ways.

There are several reasons to create and maintain a BACCHUS peer education program on your campus.

1. Peer educators learn new skills from their involvement in peer education.
The National Peer Educator Survey conducted by Michigan State University for The BACCHUS Network™ surveyed over 1,800 peer educators at 200 institutions across the U.S. that were affiliated with The BACCHUS Network™. The students reported that they gained higher order thinking skills, were more likely to set long-term goals, increased their communication and presentation skills and gained appreciation/awareness of diversity.  The survey profiles growth in six learning domains that align with Learning Reconsidered documents and CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. Results of this study were published in New Direction for Student Services, "Emerging Issues and Practices in Peer Educating," No. 133, Spring 2011.

2. The students who have a desire to be leaders in the world deserve support.
There are students out there who are willing to be part of the solution, who want to spend their time and talents to educate their peers and create safer communities. We want to identify, support, train and empower these students. The Network works because of the belief and reality that students, if supported, are effective role models and teachers for their peers. Today’s campus leaders who promote health and safety are tomorrow’s community leaders in government, education and corporations.  They are not just working to achieve a healthy campus, but to achieve a healthy future.

3. Peer educators make healthier decisions themselves.
Students who are involved in peer education programs take their role as teachers seriously and model the identity of a healthy decision-maker. They use less alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, they make safer and healthier sexual decisions, and they engage in less high-risk activity.

4. Peer educators serve as role models for other students.
We know that young people are susceptible to peer pressure, and also pattern many of their decisions after the behavior they perceive to be happening around them. The more peer educators present in “real life” situations (in the classroom, on sports teams, in residence halls, in social situations) the more opportunities other students, who may be high-risk takers, have to see their friends and peers making responsible choices instead of unhealthy ones.

5. Peer educators impact the campuses and communities in which they live.
Students from network institutions across the United States reported they used the following strategies to motivate behavior change.
• Conduct awareness campaigns (74%)
• Present an educational class or program (70%)
• Address unhealthy behaviors (65%)
• Role modeling (65%)
• Interacted one-on-one with a person in a helping situation (51%)

6. Peer educators enhance campus support services with their reach.
Peer educators assist our campus services not only through the educational outreach and awareness campaigns they conduct, but through their direct contact with students who might need professional assistance.  Trained peer educators can respond to peers in crisis and know their campus and community resources to refer students who need professional help.

7.  Peer educators contribute to the overall student leadership success on your campus.
Campuses who support successful peer education programs also contribute to the growth of student leadership on their campus.  Peer educators participate in an average of three other leadership organizations.  The skills and knowledge gained through prevention efforts and developing programs translates into their other roles and fulfills objectives of most campus mission statements.