Peer Helpers Jubilee Returns to The Wharf in Orange Beach Nov. 4–5

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Students who spend the school year looking out for their classmates will get a chance to be celebrated themselves next week. The Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation’s 13th Annual Peer Helpers Jubilee takes place Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 4–5, at AMC Classic Wharf 15 at The Wharf in Orange Beach, according to the foundation.

The two-day gathering brings together students from the foundation’s Peer Helpers PLUS program for encouragement, education and connection, and the foundation is inviting community members to turn out and cheer them on.

Two days, two age groups

The foundation has split the Peer Helpers Jubilee by grade level:

• Day one, Wednesday, Nov. 4: Elementary school students and program coordinators
• Day two, Thursday, Nov. 5: Middle and high school programs

Dividing the event this way allows programming to be tailored to students at very different stages, from younger children just learning what it means to help a friend to teenagers navigating the more complicated pressures of middle and high school.

The Jubilee dates to 2014, according to the foundation, and this year’s event is the 13th.

Speakers focus on resilience and connection

This year’s lineup of speakers includes David Woods Bartley, Malley Chase Faulkner, and the pairing of Keith Davis and Germard Reed. According to the foundation, the speakers bring experiences and perspectives centered on resilience, overcoming obstacles, encouragement and the importance of connection.

Those themes line up closely with the work peer helpers do. Students in peer helping programs are generally trained to listen to classmates, offer support, welcome new students and recognize when a friend may need help from a trusted adult. Hearing from speakers who have faced and worked through hardship can give students both inspiration and practical perspective to bring back to their schools.

Celebrating everyday kindness

At its heart, the Jubilee is about recognizing the everyday acts of kindness and service that student peer helpers carry out, the foundation said. Much of that work happens quietly: sitting with a student who is eating lunch alone, checking in on a friend who seems down or helping a classmate feel included. The Jubilee is designed to make sure those efforts do not go unnoticed.

Welcome Rally invites the public

The foundation’s Welcome Rally is meant to set an upbeat tone for the gathering. Organizers describe it as a celebration of the young leaders and a way to build excitement for the learning and connections ahead, complete with music, energy and plenty of encouragement.

Community members are invited to come out and greet the students as they arrive. According to the foundation, showing up to welcome peer helpers helps reinforce a simple but powerful message: the kindness, leadership and care they extend to others matters, and they have an entire community supporting them in return.

For students who often put others first, seeing parents, neighbors, teachers and local leaders cheering for them can be a memorable experience. Anyone interested in joining the rally should contact the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation for arrival times and details.

About Peer Helpers PLUS

Peer Helpers PLUS is the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation’s program for student peer helpers, and Peer Helpers groups can be found on school campuses in Baldwin County. Peer helping programs rest on the idea that students are often the first to notice when a classmate is struggling, and that young people sometimes open up more readily to a peer than to an adult. Training students to listen well and to connect friends with appropriate adult help can strengthen a school’s overall support network.

The annual Jubilee gives students from different schools a chance to meet one another, share what they have learned and return to their campuses with renewed energy for the year ahead.

Event at a glance

• What: Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation 13th Annual Peer Helpers Jubilee
• When: Nov. 4 (elementary students and coordinators) and Nov. 5 (middle and high school programs)
• Where: AMC Classic Wharf 15, The Wharf, Orange Beach
• Speakers: David Woods Bartley, Malley Chase Faulkner, Keith Davis and Germard Reed
• Public involvement: Community members are encouraged to attend the Welcome Rally and cheer on students