Peer Educators

This Friday marks the end of the first week of the first ever Peer Educator workshop.

PULSE and Field Band Education(FBE) have been gathered in Parys in the Free State since Monday, together with 7 very capable Field Band staff from all over South Africa who are training to become the first FBF Peer Educators.

The Peer Educator programme is a larger education and upskilling project initiated by FBE and PULSE. The aim is to upskill FBF personell to a facilitator level, enabling talented people within the organisation to independently facilitate both PULSE and FBE material.

On a short term, this serves to ease the workload of the PULSE and FBE departments, as there are more people capable of doing the job of facilitating workshops. For the same reason, it is also possible to reach more bands and tutors with the material.

On a longer term, having more people intimately familiar with, and able to facilitate the PULSE and FBE material serves the purpose of ensuring that it keeps on living and thriving within the organisation. Eventually, the aim is for the Peer Educators to be able to contribute to upskilling others in the same material.

Currently we are in the first phase of this project, which is gathering all 7 Peer Educators for intensive days of preparation before the National Tutors Workshop(NTWS) in weeks 5 and 6.

During these 11 preparation days, the Peer Educators in training are receiving theory and knowledge in PULSE and FBE material, as well as practical training in how to facilitate the material at the workshop. During the National Tutors´ Workshop the Peer Educators will facilitate different subjects individually, as well as together with FBE and PULSE. Music is of course also present, through workshops in conducting, show design, and repertoire prep for the NTWS.

As the Peer Educator training programme progresses, we will arrange seminars, workshops and other initiatives where the Peer Educators will continue to work alongside PULSE and FBE, receiving training and knowledge as well as continuous support and evaluation. The Peer Educators programme will be run throughout 2017, and based on the progress we have already seen, and the motivation, reflectiveness and commitment that the Peer Educators in training are demontrating, we have high hopes that the end result will be 7 very capable Peer Educators, ready to contribute to further upskilling throughout the FBF.