I might be a little biased, but I believe the SPARK Peer Learning Center is leading the youth peer support movement in Washington State. SPARK stands for Students Providing And Receiving Knowledge, and the organization is youth and peer led. It all started a few years ago with a group of students in a social-emotional classroom at an alternative high school. Now, SPARK provides youth peer support classes at that same high school, and we plan to employ a youth peer counselor there to provide services to students. And this model is being asked for across Washington. SPARK will ultimately provide youth peer support education, advocacy, and services in a number of settings, but schools are proving to be some of the most impactful environments.
I get so excited when I think about how we can empower youth/students by incorporating the wisdom of peer support into their education. Peer support allows youth to utilize their lived experience with some aspect of life to lead, create community, and diminish the stigma associated with needing support. Youth peers can be effective in almost any ecosystem (we are seeing incredible results in juvenile rehabilitation facilities), but just imagine if there were youth peers in most high schools. People that could reach students because they were recently students themselves, and they are passionate about serving their communities.
Peer support is a relatively simple concept, but it can have profound, life-changing effects. I dream of a world where this knowledge is widespread, and so is peer support as a result. I plan to do everything I can to make this dream a reality for youth in Washington and beyond.

– Cole Devlin, CPC, MSWc (he/they) – Co-President of SPARK Board

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