ADAPT/PAWS Peer Educators
The ADAPT (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team)/PAWS (Peers Advocating Wellness Solutions) peer educators are a group of 25-30 students who volunteer to educate students and community members on a variety of issues ranging from alcohol and drug issues to stress management, healthy eating, how to help a friend with an eating disorder, how to start an exercise program, self esteem, body image, stress reduction, tobacco, cancer prevention awareness, etc.. Each year, the ADAPT/PAWS peer educators alone present over 150 educational programs impacting more than 5000 students. The peer educators are the backbone of the Wellness Resource Center prevention efforts. They meet weekly and go through extensive training. In order to become a peer educator, students must go through a selection process. Download MUSWA Application
PASS (Peers Advocating Smoke-free Solutions)
PASS is a peer education group that focuses on tobacco prevention, education and cessation on our campus and in the community through advocacy and policy change. The group is comprised of students who are interested in contributing to clean air on campus and student wellness. This group was instrumental in Columbia bars/restaurants becoming smoke-free in 2007, and also in Mizzou’s efforts to become a smoke-free campus. Throughout the year, PASS does many activities on campus and in the community, including:
GAMMA
- Annual “Kiss Me, I’m a Non-Smoker” student services wellness fair, which reaches about 1,000 students
- Outreach and education on tobacco issues in the local high schools
- An annual event in November to promote quitting as part of the Great American Smokeout
- Attending/presenting on relevant tobacco issues at regional and national peer education conferences
(Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol) GAMMA is composed of greek students who are interested in issues related to responsible alcohol use. Representatives of many fraternities and sororities volunteer to help plan events and services for their fellow greek students. Download the 2008 GAMMA Steering Committee Application
Service Learning Internships
Each semester students volunteer 5 to 10 hours per week in the Wellness Resource Center while receiving academic credit from their departments. These students typically are from health related majors such as Nutrition, Nursing, Public Health, Family Studies, Respiratory Therapy, etc. Contact your professors to see if you can get credit for volunteering and gain valuable and marketable experience.
Steering Committees
Any interested student can also volunteer to become a member of student steering committees. The Alcohol Responsibility Month Steering Committee meets from April through October to create, plan and implement Alcohol Responsibility Month. The Wellness Month Steering Committee meets February through April to create, plan and implement Wellness Month. The steering committees meet weekly and are open to anyone.
Additional Peer Educator Information
Our office offers pre-packaged educational interactions on the following topics: Click here to download a request form!
Included in our pre-packaged educational interactions is not only a program presented by ADAPT (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team) or PAWS (Peer Advocating Wellness Solutions) peer educators but also your selection of two of the following:
- Nutrition
- Fitness
- Eating Disorders
- Financial Wellness
- Fun Things to Do in Columbia
- Illegal Drugs
- Safe Partying
- Self-esteem
- Skin Cancer
- Tobacco
- Stress
- Time Management
- General Wellness
- Healthy Relationships
- Conflict Mediation
- Date Rape Drugs
- Drinking and Driving
- Game Shows
- Alcohol Good/Alcohol Bad (discusses the pros and cons of alcohol use)
- The Body Print (explains the short and long term effects of alcohol on the body)
- Second-hand Drinking (deals with the ways an individual's behavior while intoxicated effects the people around them)
- Women and Alcohol
- Dispelling the Myths (focuses on giving students a real picture of their peers use of alcohol
- Alcohol Poisoning
All you have to do is give us a call or stop by and schedule a program. We will then supply you with two or more other components of your Educational Interaction.
- pre-made potty papers
- bulletin board materials
- mailbox stuffers
- and other give-a-ways (selection of these options depends on the Educational Interaction requested)
In addition to Educational Interactions, the Wellness Resource Center and ADAPT office provides a variety of services which we encourage you to utilize.
Alcohol Responsibility Month is scheduled in October: we plan a number of events and activities which will prove to be both fun and informative. Don't forget that your Residence Hall and living unit receives Alcohol Responsibility Month points for ADAPT and PAWS presentations throughout the semester.
The office offers an interactive CD-Rom program called Alcohol 101. This program provides a fun, realistic, and non-judgmental environment in which students can gain the tools they need to help maintain control and personal safety in drinking situations. The program provides the physiological, psychological, and legal information to help students make informed choices about drinking or not drinking. Copies of this can be made available for use in you living unit.
We look forward to working with you this semester to provide fun and interactive Educational Initiatives for your residents!
For more information, please contact Stephanie Heffernan at sahbp7@mizzou.edu.
