Inclusion and Belonging Peer Educators Hope to Spread Diversity and Inclusion
By Laurel Bennett, Staff Writer
The Inclusion and Belonging Peer Educators (I and B Peer Educators) program has been recently reinvigorated from previous diversity peer educators programs on campus. This semester serves as a pilot effort to spread information about its reenvisioning, with the eventual goal of growing the program in the upcoming academic year.
(Poster Provided)
Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging Cristina Garcia was influential in restarting the program. Regarding the goals of the I and B Peer Educators program this semester, Garcia said she hoped that students would learn “there is a group here at Gettysburg that’s focused on equity, social justice, racial justice, and inclusion.”
The I and B Peer Educators program features four peer educators: Alyssa Guevara ’26, Graceann Pawling ’24, Azriel Bryant ’25, and Theodore Szpakowski ’25 who work to educate students on topics related to diversity and belonging.
Guevara explained that the program will help students learn about inclusion without it being from an administrative approach.
“As part of the Gettysburg requirements that are often completed over the summer, students have to watch videos on diversity and inclusion to then answer quizzes. This does not allow students to truly digest the material,” Guevara said.
The peer educators expressed that the intention of the program is to help students learn more about inclusion and belonging through in-person events.
The first event was hosted on April 3 in Glatfelter Lodge. Students enjoyed coloring and a variety of snacks and drinks.
The I and B Peer Educators program host their next event, “Say What?!,” on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in CUB 260. Participants will learn more about red flag words and their origins to gain a greater understanding of language.
Garcia encouraged all students to attend the upcoming event to get involved with efforts to work to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
For more information, students can follow @gbcpeereds on Instagram or visit Engage Gettysburg.
