Social Creativity Volunteer Peer Mentors

Last date was Wednesday, November 6th, 2019 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (CT)
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About

Greenleaf - Social Creativity Volunteer Peer Mentor Description

Are you a responsible and caring young adult with a personal or academic interest in autism?

WHO: We are looking for volunteer Peer Mentors who:

  • Are positive role models that like to help others and have fun

  • Are interested in developing their own creative and artistic skills

  • Have great communication and social skills

  • Are trustworthy and reliable

WHAT: Social Creativity is a community arts education program for transition-age youth with autism and comparable neurological differences to foster creative self-expression, social skills, vocational skills, and a sense of community belonging. 

Peer Mentors are an invaluable part of the Social Creativity model!  We provide you with foundational training on working with individuals on the autism spectrum and ongoing support as you participate in the program.  Peer Mentors are not idle helpers; they are collaborative creatives and friends!  You will participate in classes and inform group decisions, the same as your neurodiverse peers, although you will also have an important mission-- to help promote a positive and supportive environment for others, to be a ‘friend', as well as to provide occasional one-on-one support for peers during group activities. 

Examples of one-on-one support can include tasks like: helping redirect peers to the task at hand, assisting peers with written or verbal communication, contributing examples, volunteering to go first, etc.  We strive to provide an environment where every community member, neurotypical or neurodiverse, feels valued for their contributions and empowered to contribute to the topics and expressive projects that fuel the class. 

WHEN:  Year-long cohorts participate in classes multiple evenings a week, typically between 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm, as well as occasional weekend outings.  Typically, peers participate in the program for about 10 hours of meetings/trainings and 65 - 75 hours of programming.  We have a LMSW on staff who can supervise field hours and we are always happy to provide certificate verification of hours for college coursework.

WHY:  Here's what one Peer Mentor had to say about the program:

“It has been such a privilege to be a part of such an inclusive, positive and unique program. As the students have developed and grown in countless ways, it has been truly inspiring getting to watch the arts help participants shine in ways they didn't know they could.”

Being a Social Creativity Peer Mentor is not only rewarding because you're helping others.  Most of our mentors have found the classes to be beneficial to their own creative and artistic growth, and some of our mentors have even found their calling to helping professions, like education and social work!

You'll learn valuable skills as a facilitator like holding space for others, skillful redirection, sequencing activities, and presentation skills.  You'll also develop in your own creative life as you learn and practice new artistic skills and develop new strategies for collaborative and creative problem-solving!

WHAT NOW?

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Mitchell Bowman at mbowman@eastersealstx.org.

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