Peer Clubs
The peer club program serves students at schools across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. Most sessions are hosted at Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle schools, but we also partner with elementary, high, and private schools. Each session is led by a youth programs specialist and meets weekly for 45–60 minutes.
Peer clubs are designed to support personal growth by helping students learn about themselves, manage conflict and challenges, strengthen communication skills, and build meaningful connections with others.
The program equips students with life skills that extend far beyond the classroom. Many participants say it has given them tools to create positive change in their schools, homes, and communities.
"I think about what I want to be in my future, and I know that getting into an argument or fight is not going to help me with that. I know I don't want to go the wrong way in life, so I refer to the coping skills and advice that we learned from the group." - Student participant in peer club program
"After being in this program, I handle conflict a lot better because I used to get mad a lot, but I feel like the program has taught me the steps to calm down and walk away from certain situations." - Student participant in peer club program
Peer Mediation
The peer mediation program is for students who want to be trained to serve as mediators in their schools. Once training is complete, students:
- Help their peers peacefully find solutions to their conflict.
- Serve as ambassadors who understand how to solve problems without violence.
- Exemplify fairness and appreciation to others.
- Understand how to maintain confidentiality, within the approved parameters, of a mediation session.
Want to bring a peer club or peer mediation program to your school? Contact youth@charlottenc.gov for more information.