European guidelines for youth AIDS peer education - University of ...

LogisticsPractical arrangements will need to be made to ensure the project’s success. These include co-ordinatingpeer educator training and support, arranging facilities and materials, setting up activities and meetings,writing reports, and so on. This logistical work is people-intensive, as it involves the peer educators, thecoalition partners and intermediaries. Continuous support for peer educators must be provided on an asneededbasis.Designing an evaluationThe aim of evaluation is to assess what the project achieved, how it was achieved, and to provide informationfor future practice. For an evaluation to be successful, it will need to be designed at the earliest stages ofthe project and continued as a parallel process until the project’s completion or a pre-determined date.The above processes sound like a great deal to plan for, but this is true for most prevention projects. Whatdistinguishes work in peer education is the active participation of young people and an empowering andsupportive role for the adults involved. How much actual work there will be depends on the size of theproject. Having an active coalition means that the work can be spread out over various agencies orintegrated into already ongoing activities, such as school classes. The peer educators will eventually be ableto do a great deal themselves. Outside trainers, evaluators and educators can be used on an as-needed basis.Nevertheless, a co-ordinator will be needed to oversee all activities.PlanningPlanning a peer education project will involve the steps given below, though not necessarily in the same order:1 Assessing a group of young people for peer education2 Designing projectsa Defining tentative aims and objectivesb Developing a project modelc Preparing an evaluation3 Initiating a projecta Building a project coalitionb Developing an action planc Recruiting peer educatorsd Preparing for traininge Preparing supportf The project co-ordinator1 Assessing a group of young peoplePeer education has proved to be useful in reaching mainstream and marginalised young people both in andoutside the school system. Projects can be started using new funding or be integrated into existing programmes.HIV prevention is a necessary investment concerning all young people and our future. However, some groupsare more vulnerable than others due to risk behaviours or because they remain outside mainstreamprevention efforts. The nature of these groups varies considerably from region to region in Europe. Since theHIV epidemic is actually a conglomeration of smaller epidemics with roots in local practices and social,economic and environmental conditions, peer education has the advantage of being able to focus on smalland culturally unique groups of young people. However, it is only one of several approaches that may be used.Success in approaching any group of young people will depend on intermediaries whom the young peoplelike and trust. These intermediaries can serve as contacts and eventually as key members of a project22 European guidelines for youth AIDS peer education