Mobile High School
Peer Assistance Program
PAL

What is PAL?

P.A.L (Peer Assistance Leadership) is a Mobile High School Student Mentorship program being introduced in January 2006 with the goal of providing assistance to our intermediate level students. Senior students selected for the PAL program will be expected to provide both personal and academic support to assigned students in grades seven, eight or nine. The primary goal of the Mobile PALs program is to pair our intermediate students with caring individuals who will cultivate supportive relationships that positively contribute to student achievement and success.

What is Student Mentorship?

Student Mentorship involves establishing a deliberate, conscious, voluntary relationship with another student that may or may not have a specific time limit and that has the sanction of the school administration. The outcome of the relationship is expected to benefit all parties in the relationship in the areas of personal growth, positive attitudes and behaviours, and lifestyle enhancement.

What is the aim of PAL?

The aim of the Mobile PAL program is to provide intermediate students with a senior student mentor to assist and guide them toward graduation. The senior mentors provide knowledge, fun, friendship, and confidence to students who may be experiencing behavioural or academic difficulty in our school. The guiding vision is a high school where everyone is capable of becoming their best in a safe and interactive environment.

Who can become A PAL?

Senior Students who wish to apply for PAL must be mature students who are capable of becoming a trusted student friend and who also can be a supportive resource to a young person. Those interested in mentoring must feel comfortable helping a young person through the intermediate grades and should be able to be a stable role model providing a positive sense of identity and purpose. There are no specific life experiences required of mentors; we ask that they be good listeners, reliable, patient, flexible and accepting of differences.

What are the benefits of PAL?

As outlined by the Department of Education a "positive school climate exists in a school when there is collaboration, high expectations, mutual trust, caring, and support for all individuals. Having a positive school climate influences the effectiveness of a school. Students in a school with a positive school climate are more likely to attend regularly, cooperate fully, contribute more frequently and achieve better than students from a school with a less desirable school climate. Effective schools create and maintain peaceful environments that are conducive to learning." Having an effective PAL program can help improve student attendance, increase academic success, reduce the possibility of student drug/alcohol use, promote responsible behaviour, and engage students more fully in their own education.

For more information, visit Mobile High Web site at http://mail.esdnl.ca/Schools/MobileCentralHigh/ 

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