ADL Peer Trainers help fight hate at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

Hate has no place at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, and volunteers in the ADL Peer Training Program have signed up to develop their skills to be leaders in fighting bias, hate, and bullying at PWHS and beyond. 

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“I think it was a general desire to really engage in the community and ensure that everyone feels welcome and that we’re actively working against hate in all forms,” said PWHS junior Leo Nasatir.

After three full days of training with the Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, the Peer Trainers will take what they learn into the ninth grade classrooms and lead activities that teach ways for students to be more accepting and to speak up if they experience hate among their peers.

“What inspired me to get involved in the Peer Trainer program was one of the Peer Trainers I had as a freshman,” said Alannah Kirk, PWHS junior. “I really liked the way they taught and loved learning about other people’s experiences and what they went through. I wanted to help out, because I’d also been in similar situations and didn’t know how to speak up about them.”

In addition to the Peer Training Program, the ADL also developed the No Place For Hate initiative that is used in all Colonial schools. Plymouth Whitemarsh High School was one of the first schools in Pennsylvania to adopt the No Place for Hate program and has been using the ADL Peer Training model for almost 20 years. 

“I think PW has a different feel than other high schools I’ve been in, and one of the reasons is that we spend time with every single freshman class coming in,” said Lee Gould, science teacher and sponsor for the Peer Training Program. “We send in upper classmen to talk about fighting hate, fighting bullying, being accepting of others, being accepting of differences, celebrating those differences—and I think it makes a difference.”