Helix Charter High students have greater opportunities to connect with peers 

As Helix Charter High students have moved into an AI-heavy digital world of technology, the school’s revamped “peer educator” tutor-mentoring training program has turned to focusing on more analog, humanistic student engagement and peer support.

According to Helix English teacher Eric Ginsberg, the program design changes implemented this fall have enhanced and expanded the curriculum of Southwestern College’s ED100. Helix Charter began offering the dual-enrollment course in fall 2022, with Ginsberg serving as both the high school teacher and college instructor.

“Trainees in this program are now developing the relational capacity to work with and connect with their peers, emphasizing listening and empathy, while simultaneously having opportunities to enhance individual agency going forward (doing the work to become better versions of themselves),” Ginsberg said.

Among the highlights of the program:

Beginning with a college curriculum 

SWC’s ED100 is a 2.0-unit CSU transferable course, typically scheduled for only six weeks, whereas students are in the “peer educator” training program for a total of 18 weeks, allowing for additional time for the instructor to extend learning and experiences.

This is the syllabus for SWC’s fall 2025 ED100 as taught by Ginsberg:

• ED100 student learning outcomes
  • Apply the 12-step tutoring cycle and the six elements of tutor talk and active listening to maximize independent student learning.
  • Identify and evaluate cultural, socio-economic, learning, and ability differences in order to  apply the components of effective intercultural tutoring, academic accommodations, and learning style theory.

ED100 is a connected course to the Helix Charter CTE Education Pathway for students interested in future careers in the fields of education, though in ED100, the majority of participants have not yet indicated an interest in education as a career.

The revamp

This past summer, Ginsberg and other teachers revamped the program to focus on supporting on-campus students receiving SPED services, English Learners, and ninth graders in academic support (though the ED100 materials remained unchanged). The focus is now explicitly on:

• Utilizing the peer-to-peer support model
• Empowering students to support their peers via tutoring and mentoring
• Teaching participants how to create inclusive environments (for students receiving SPED services, English Learners, and ninth graders in Extended Learning (ExL) academic support)
• Using classroom observation and active peer tutoring-mentoring as part of training
• Developing skills to support others one-to-one and in small groups
  • Extensive time is spent practicing one-to-one mentoring and tutoring (and with the above groups)
  • Participants facilitate (4) peer circle discussions with 9th graders in ExL.
• Teaching “peer educator” trainees about “learning to learn,” “effective study habits,” “growth mindset,” and “productive struggle.”

Unique opportunities available 

“This school year we have had a unique opportunity to have some of our upperclassmen work closely with our fledgling ninth graders through our tutoring dual-enrollment Southwestern College ED100 course,” said Cynthia Jones, assistant manager of academic support programs at Helix.

“This year peer educator trainee students (who had Extended Learning within the year) have been visiting our classroom in order to not only interact more closely in a more formal and effective tutorial capacity, but also learn about the learning space with a new lens and perspective.

“The ED100 peer educator trainees have been learning about effective interactions and interventions, and have been practicing their studies in a multitude of ways, such as conducting mentor-based conversations about the importance of routine, discipline, and strong habits, working in small tutoring groups for Algebra 1 Support, and leading conversation circles geared towards discussing the aspect and importance of connection with our ninth graders and how that can be a valuable asset for their growth and progress here at Helix.”

With the development of this program, Jones sees a powerful opportunity for Helix’s students coming into high school to have access to direct mentorial support during a time of new stressors and transition. 

“Our ninth graders are coming to Helix with a plethora of personal experiences, skills, and worries about what high school has to offer, and one of the main ways to support this change is for students to find ways to connect to campus,” Jones said.

“The ED100 peer educators trainees are in a unique position to provide support as academic mentors because of their close age and relevant experience — they can directly share how they are able to balance their school responsibilities and can encourage the use of resources.

“Having mentors such as these provides the chance for students to have that additional supportive element to their team here at Helix, and can provide a sense of connection to help students find solace and support as they are continually challenged here on campus.”

Students getting the most out of the program 

For students, the opportunity to work with their peers has proven to be a positive learning experience.

“Being a peer tutor has shown me that everyone learns differently, and it’s cool to figure out how to explain things in a way that makes sense to them,” noted sophomore Victoria Ortiz. “It’s not just about knowing the answer, but about helping others understand it too. I’ve also learned a lot about being responsible and managing my time better.”

For junior Asha Deck, the time spent in the program has proven fruitful.

“Overall, I think my experience in this Peer Educator Tutor-Mentor Trainee Program has been very beneficial,” Deck said. “I’ve gained many skills, some which can be applied to the tutoring field, and others which I will be able to use in life. I learned more about Helix, and was introduced to many programs that I didn’t even know existed. I now have a much better understanding of how to work one on one with my peers, how to listen and show that I care about their problems.

Thanks to the group discussions as well as one on one conversations, I’ve been able to get much better at keeping a conversation alive, thinking of new things to say and questions to ask.”

Among some other students offering feedback:

Hailey Colbert (10^th grade): “I wanted to help, encourage, and be with my peers, and that has really changed me. I made a decision to join this program, and it turned out to be one of my best decisions ever. I have learned how to communicate effectively, speak with confidence and respect, and connect with people on a deeper level.”

Marley Ramirez (10^th grade): “This class has also helped me become more responsible and help me gain leadership skills. Additionally, I feel this class also gives many opportunities for the students, whether they want to become a teacher or not, to meet new people and learn from how they learn, and what benefits them.”

Giovanna Ayala (10th grade): This course empowers me to support others in a way that not only helps them and applies to them but also to the tutor because it helps them be a better version of yourself and develop new skills that can help them in the future. 

Brixton Harper (10th grade): “To start, this program has helped me become a   generally better person. It has reinforced my people skills, helped me be better at holding one-on-one conversations, made me open to helping anybody, and taught me how to be an effective tutor.”

Tyler Kinnard (10th grade): “Overall, I’ve learned how to become a better learner while also becoming a better tutor. These skills have empowered me to want to learn and teach more, like discussions with ninth graders or special education, or language learners. These skills can also be used in the future for job interviews or experience because they improve independence and caring about others, while caring about yourself.”

With opportunities to better relate to their peers, many Helix students are learning skills that are useful to them both now and later on down the road.