Peer Leadership

Developed by the Princeton University Center for Leadership Training, our Peer Leadership Program aims at providing ninth graders with a successful transition into high school. Ten senior boys and ten senior girls enroll in a course entitled Applied Psychology, which revolves around the training of these seniors for weekly outreach sessions (both inside and outside of the classroom) with small groups of ninth graders. The Peer Leaders learn how to facilitate dialogue through an activity-based model, how to guide freshmen through the stages of group development, and how to adopt effective leadership strategies. Brentwood School’s program is unique in that it is based on a structured academic class, dedicated to training the senior leaders.

This internationally recognized Princeton University program is currently functioning in high schools throughout the world. Research has shown that peer leadership increases students’ self-efficacy in the areas of stress reduction, conflict management, and decision-making and helps them connect to peers within and between grades levels.