Sharon Yoerg

Sharon Yoerg is first and foremost a peer programs teacher and trainer with over 35 years of experience. She is co-founder of ShaMo Educational Consulting (www.peerhelp.com) and has co-authored two peer helping curriculums, Freshman Transition and Bridges to Safety. She also is a trainer of peers, educators and parents for the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center of San Mateo. As part of her mission to promote peer programs nationally and internationally, she has collaborated on a publication called "Peer Support in Nederland" with Erik J. Luigies at DaVinci College in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

As an educator and trainer, Sharon's passion is hands on training of students, staff and parents. She provides peer program consultation and staff/student trainings in Freshman Transition, Conflict Mediation, Kids Learn Empathy and Respect (KLEAR), Feelin' the Peace (negotiation skills), AIDS is REAL, tobacco, drug and alcohol prevention education. All of these programs utilize peer to peer interactions.

Sharon also conducts staff development trainings and facilitates site-based decision making, strategic planning, communication and team building. She trains staff in how to start peer helping programs and how to enhance existing ones. She is a proficient grant writer and can help schools learn how to fund their peer programs.

A current interest is in parent education. Peer programs work equally well in after school activities such as Scouting, Boys' and Girls' Clubs and youth groups, and Sharon is working on developing this aspect of peer helping in local communities.

Sharon has a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in English, French and Secondary Education. Her Masters degree in Comparative Literature is from Washington University, St. Louis, MO. She holds certificates in Special Education and secondary/ junior college school administration from San Francisco State University and in Teacher Leadership from Stanford University. Sharon spent the past 20 years at Woodside High School in Redwood City, CA. developing Students Offering Support, a many faceted peer helping program which was disseminated to the other three high schools in the Sequoia Union High School District as well as to other public and private schools in California.