San Francisco Peer Resources believes youth are capable leaders who can be effective allies for their peers. We are committed to developing young leaders in San Francisco with the use of fun, creative, and interactive strategies that build safety, confidence, and skills. Together we explore issues facing youth today. Young leaders then help their peers and create positive change around these issues at their schools and in the larger community.
Our History
In 1979, a survey at Galileo High School in San Francisco revealed an overwhelming need for student counseling services. In response to this growing need, and in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District, the San Francisco Education Fund founded the first Peer Resources Center and the Center for Institutional Change at San Francisco State University in 1980. Co-directors Ira Sachnoff and Marilyn Hoffman helped the program expand to other schools, and in 1989 Sachnoff established an umbrella organization known today as the San Francisco Peer Resources program. Twenty-five years after its inception, Peer Resources is one of the most comprehensive peer programs in California and serves as a national model.
Our Philosophy
San Francisco Peer Resources is based on the foundation that youth can have a strong impact on the attitudes, learning patterns, and behaviors of their peers. Peer educators model positive youth behavior and act as role models for other students, who then are more able to withstand peer pressure and negative influences. Research shows that peer education programs increase student academic performance, decrease incidents of school violence, help young people develop leadership skills, and prepare young adults to become positive contributing members of their communities.
For information about the various Peer Resources programs available to San Francisco youth, click here