Peer to Peer Continues to Make an Impact on Students

— Cambry Fyllesvold, Feature Editor

With the end of the 2023 school year coming to a close, Mandan High School’s Peer to Peer club is wrapping up their first full year of activities. The club’s main focus is to build relationships between students and overall make the school more inclusive.

Peer to Peer has been busy doing many activities throughout the school year such as the 2023 Walk for Down Syndrome where students walked with their buddy at the State Capitol back in September.

The students have also arranged activities around the school including The Braves Bean coffee shop, dress up days and Operation Inclusion where students are rewarded by doing kind things to each other around the school. The operation began in February and students can win gift cards from a variety of different businesses including McDonalds, Denny’s, Bennigans, and many more.

“We gave each teacher a QR code to keep on their desk so they can just scan that when they see a student do something kind. The code brings them to a Google Form that they can nominate a student. Winners are sent out through the announcements.” Advisor Amber Allers said.

Peer to Peer has seen an increase in students being inclusive since they started Operation Inclusion only a couple months ago. Students in Peer to Peer also enjoy the other activities the club offers.

“I think the coffee shop is definitely the biggest thing,” Treasurer Abby Landeis said. “The kids really love it. It’s great to see how excited they get when their friends come to the coffee shop and they get to make them a drink.”

Peer to Peer club has seen an increase in members over the past several months.

“I love seeing the kids and the impact other students have on them,” Landeis said. “Their enthusiasm impacts you too and it makes me really understand that one thing I do, like saying “hi” to someone in the hallway, can make their whole week or change the whole course of their day.”

The students are involved with the mentees in the classroom as well. Students volunteer to go into classrooms and help the mentees with their school work.

“It’s really nice. It’s like a break in the day when you get to go in there and help them,” Landeis said. “It’s not so much school on you, it’s just like helping someone else.”

The massive support from the student body has made an impact on the progress of inclusion throughout the school.

“I think it’s a lot cooler because everyone that is there wants to be there. It makes people see them as people and they are capable of doing things just like us and I think that is really great,” freshman cabinet member Gabby Frohlich said.