More often than not, youth turn to their friends for help, rather than to adults. This great resource prepares project leaders to train young people in making the positive interactions necessary to peer helping. Through a comprehensive, fifteen-session curriculum, Barbara Varenhorst, one of the most respected names in peer helping, provides you with all the training designs, discussion tips, handouts and other materials to teach volunteers strong relationship skills. This book can help you to help young people make a powerful difference in the lives of their peers. And you will find that many of the training designs are applicable to working with volunteers of any age who provide counseling services.

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From page 19:
Initiating a Social Relationship

The most basic skill peer helpers need is to be able to initiate social contact with others. To make friends, students need to know how to start conversa­tions with others. People who are shy, lonely, or lack friendship skills often don’t know how to begin or keep a conversation going. Some group mem­bers may fear being emotionally hurt or made fun of if they attempt to talk to someone they don’t know outside the group. Some may fear not know­ing what to say. Peer helpers need to know how to start conversations and establish a comfortable, trusting relationship with a person who needs a friend.

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