The 2025 Fall Training Camp season has officially come to a close! Peer Leaders from high schools across the nation and Bermuda gathered for an unforgettable day full of growth and enrichment. These camps, hosted in New York, Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Maryland, and Bermuda, brought together teams to plan their campaign activities, learn leadership skills, and get inspired.
To start the day, our Peer Leaders supplemented their financial aid knowledge, ensuring they are ready to act as a resource to their peers. We then transitioned into our new segment: contributing to the team. In this session, students sat based on the role they hold within their PeerForward team. Their roles, which include Captain, Data Manager, Social Media Manager, Outreach Manager, and Secretary, allow them to build workforce ready skills as they lead their classmates toward brighter futures.
They received role-specific training, delving into what is expected of them and how they contribute to the success of their teams. Both skills building and community building, this session gave Peer Leaders the chance to sharpen their skills with students from other parts of their city.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a training camp without campaign planning! Following their role-specific break out groups, they reconvened with their school teams to plan campaign events, with a priority being placed on Campaign Apply and Campaign FAFSA. Campaign Apply encourages every student to apply to 3 or more higher education programs while our File Early campaign urges students to file for financial aid early to maximize their award amounts.
We then closed out the day by officially inducting junior Peer Leaders into the PeerForward family, setting them up to lead with confidence. Each one of our teams left their training camp with a fresh spark of excitement for their PeerForward campaigns!
Without a doubt, this season was made even more special by our corporate volunteers! Our Maryland and New York training camps were attended by volunteers from Deloitte. During lunch, they had the opportunity to sit down with our Peer Leaders to offer some advice and answer any questions they might have about postsecondary education institutions and career paths.
“For any students that are nervous about that transition from high school to college, just have confidence in your abilities. Don’t let that change when you go to college. Be focused on the things you’re passionate about, what you enjoy, and living for yourself.”
Bako Ekoko – Senior Human Capital Consultant, Deloitte
Meanwhile, our Massachusetts training camp was enriched by volunteers from Locus Robotics. They graciously hosted the event and awarded PeerForward an in-kind donation! The Peer Leaders had a chance to tour their facilities before discussing postsecondary education and career pathways available to Boston students. We could not be more grateful to both Deloitte and Locus Robotics for their support!
Fall Training Camp season may be over, but that doesn’t mean we’re slowing down! Our Peer Leaders are all in on Campaign Apply and Campaign FAFSA, working diligently to make sure their peers have the resources and information they need to succeed as college application deadlines grow nearer. Our students have shown that they’re ready to create positive change in their schools and communities, and we look forward to seeing how that manifests as the school year progresses. Here’s to continued impact, growth, and campaign success!
