When aiming to support socio-emotional growth, which strategy should school counselors employ?

Implementing peer mentoring initiatives is a highly effective strategy for supporting socio-emotional growth among students. This approach enables students to engage with their peers in a structured setting where they can share experiences, provide mutual support, and develop valuable social skills. Peer mentoring fosters connections and provides a platform for students to express their feelings, thereby promoting emotional understanding and resilience.

Moreover, these initiatives can help create a sense of belonging, which is crucial for student's emotional well-being. Mentors, often slightly older or more experienced peers, can relate to the challenges their mentees face and offer guidance, thereby facilitating growth and learning in both social and emotional contexts.

While other strategies like character education programs, academic tutoring services, and family engagement activities have their merits and can contribute to overall student development, peer mentoring specifically targets the development of interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence, making it a targeted approach to enhancing socio-emotional growth.