Over the last few years, Peer to Peer volunteers across the state have been working to create a more inclusive and engaged environment for all students at school. As an accredited program with over 26,000 students involved in over 600 schools, including Grosse Pointe South, Peer to Peer aims to create a sense of belonging and teamwork between students with and without learning disabilities. South’s Peer to Peer advisors Kathleen Smith and Amanda Bungard have worked hard since the beginning to ensure Peer to Peer has an active role in our school community.
“This program raises awareness that we can celebrate and accept differences within the school community,” Smith said. “It [the support and community of a team] is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for our kids with learning disabilities.”
Shortly after the program began, Peer to Peer partnered with another program, The Unified Champion Schools, which introduced Unified Basketball as an extracurricular at South.
“Alongside that [Unified Basketball], we have some students be lunch buddies, that’s when students will come in and eat lunch together,” Smith said. “We also have a lot of students spend their tutorials in different categorical classrooms, develop friendships, and just get to know each other.”
Outside of the advisors’ involvement, Peer to Peer requires many students like Quin Grabowski ’25 to help create this welcoming community. Despite its importance, she stays involved in the program because she simply enjoys it.
“It’s a really special thing to be a part of,” Grabowski said. “I’ve gotten to meet and really get to know a lot of great kids.”
High school poses countless obstacles to everyone, and whether it’s scheduling or grades related, everybody needs support and help at times. This program provides support and help to students with learning disabilities who might need it even more than other students.
“It provides us with an understanding of everyone’s background and the different ways they face the day,” Smith said. “I love the fact that everyone has an opportunity to make the most of their high school years.”
Similar to Grabowski, Julia White ’25 has been involved in Peer to Peer for a couple years and has had a similar experience.
“The other students in the program are really nice and just positive people to be around,” White said. “It’s nice to be involved.”
While the program has already grown and accomplished a lot at South, Smith is still reaching for more. In the near future, she hopes to expose the program to more students by making it even more accessible.
“Our program is currently on a club level, but we’ve developed the curriculum for it to become an elective,” Smith said. “Right now, our school doesn’t have the space for another elective, but that’s something we’re working our way up to.”
