Peer-to-Peer Summit Brings Student Leaders Together

Students passionate about helping their fellow students came together at the Peer-to-Peer Summit on Wednesday. 

More than 270 students from schools across the county came to the SJCOE. Most were high school students, but middle schoolers from El Portal Middle School (Escalon Unified School District) and Elkhorn School (Lodi Unified School District) joined in, too. 

All were interested in supporting the mental health of their peers. 

It’s important to help others, and the summit helps students know what resources are available, said Tizél, a student at Kimball High School (Tracy Unified School District). The summit does more, too, she said. “It gives me different perspectives, not only from adults, but from youth in other communities.”

Bringing students together at the summit also builds confidence, said Monica Johnson-King, advisor of Linden High School’s (Linden Unified School District) new Friday Night Live club, which came to the summit with members of the school’s Link Crew. 

“If you see someone else being a leader, you know you can be a leader, too,” she said. 

Students from districts as well as charter and private schools attended the summit. Students, themselves, presented at many of the breakout sessions, including the SJCOE-organized Youth Mental Health Development Academy and Human Trafficking Prevention Team. 

The day kicked off with an engaging session from keynote speaker Roni Habib, author and founder of EQ schools. 

Find more photos from the Peer-to-Peer Summit on the SJCOE Facebook page.