Natural Helpers is a peer help group that allows students of Junior or Senior status to select people that they feel comfortable in going to with their problems. Research shows that students go to students with their problems more often than going to adults. Natural Helpers is working to improve school environment by being sensitive to issues such as substance abuse, bullying, and suicide. Nine student staff leaders are selected to lead retreat each year. These students apply for the leader position because they have been on retreat before and often wish to help lead retreat the second time around.
We are grateful for grant funding especially from the Porter County Substance Abuse Council. Each year, this council supports Portage High School efforts as well as other area schools that strive to teach and address similar topics. Topics such as Communication, Trust, Affirmation, Sharing, Time, and Knowing When To Refer For Help are all presented through a series of activities in small groups, large groups, skits, and in challenge education format.
It is our hope that students who are selected by their peers to be on retreat, get to explore truly knowing themselves and then work towards continuing to help others around them in a ripple effect. I truly wish we had more funding to be able to take more than one retreat a year with only 50 students out of a school the size of Portage High School. We are grateful for the support of our administration, teaching staff, community and councils and we continue to provide these experiences for as long as we can. The student staff leaders decided to work on a Prom Fashion Show this year at the high school in hopes it would serve as a fundraiser to assist Natural Helpers with retreat expenses this year.
Last year, Assistant Principal Mr. Munden, worked with Natural Helpers and offered a place in the school, during lunch hours, where Freshmen students could meet on a regular basis, in a classroom, have lunch and have Natural Helpers members lead small group discussions about different topics each Wednesday.
This years retreat is set for April and in the time we have left, our student senior staff leaders will work on their skits and activities to make this retreat the best retreat yet.
Teacher: Mrs. Lynn Wilson, MS.,Ed. Natural Helpers Co-Sponsor
Natural Helpers Sponsors: Marcia Hobart, Jodi Barney, Lolly Dogan, Sabrina Scroggin, and Lynn Wilson
In the photo : Rachel Stanley, Allison Poznanski ( 2011-Natural Helpers Staff Leader) and Michelle Shafer.