Peer Teaching & Learning Builds Confidence Through Education

Peer Teaching & Learning (PTL) facilitates the exploration of one’s passions and interests. Participants expand their world as they teach their passion and explore new knowledge presented by their peers. Their personal and professional development is enhanced through teaching and learning.

PTL places a high value on the benefit of meaningful belonging to a group. Our mission emphasizes the opportunity for campus participants to share in the creation and in the ownership of their PTL Campus. As campus participants, they readily become a member of an educational community of their making, promoting a change in attitudes and behaviors regarding the experience of disability. The model fosters personal growth by supporting and celebrating participants' life experiences, capacities, and abilities. Honoring the participants' voice and direction is key to promoting dynamic engagement and a sense of ownership of their curriculum. It is designed so that they readily comprehend that their input is essential to all aspects of campus development. Participants are the creators and producers of their educational experiences taking on leadership opportunities as teaching faculty, student scholar, administrative staff, or a combination of the three.

Referencing the traditional academic college model, the participants safeguard academic freedom by ensuring respect for minority opinion, polite discussion, and the celebration of diversity. PTL campuses enrich soft skills (public speaking, time management, research, organizational skills, stakeholder engagement) and hard skills (music, theater, history, law, science, math). PTL changes lives for the better – helping people discover and grow their passions, develop new social networks, advance their careers, build self-confidence, forge new self-advocacy skills, and achieve new levels of independence and accomplishment.