PEER GROUP CONNECTION-HIGH SCHOOL (PGC-HS)

Peer Group Connection-High School (PGC-HS) is an evidence-based and school-based program that supports and eases students’ successful transition from middle to high school. The program taps into the power of older students to create a nurturing environment for incoming 9th graders. Once per week, pairs of junior and senior peer leaders meet with groups of 10-14 9th graders in outreach sessions designed to strengthen relationships among students across grades. These peer leaders are simultaneously enrolled in a daily, for-credit, year-long leadership course taught by school faculty during regular school hours.

PGC-HS is CSS’s seminal peer leadership program, and has been implemented with a 70% sustainability rate in more than 175 high schools since 1979. A recently released, four-year longitudinal, randomized-control study conducted by Rutgers University and funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services found that, among other major results, PGC-HS improves the graduation rates of student participants in an inner city public school by nine percentage points and cuts by half the number of male students who would otherwise drop out.

PEER GROUP CONNECTION-MIDDLE SCHOOL (PGC-MS)

Peer Group Connection-Middle School (PGC-MS) is a research-based program that supports and eases students’ successful transition into middle school. The program taps into the power of eighth graders to create a nurturing environment for incoming middle school students. Three times per month, pairs of eighth graders meet with groups of 8-10 incoming middle school students in outreach sessions designed to strengthen relationships among students across grades. These peer leaders are simultaneously enrolled in a daily, for-credit, year-long leadership course taught by school faculty during regular school hours. PGC-MS is the middle school version of CSS’s flagship program: PGC-HS.