"He's my best friend!" Why start a service learning peer buddy program? Benefits of inclusion of all students. The importance of inclusion and student interaction -- Legislative and policy initiatives supporting inclusion -- Philosophical support for inclusion -- Research basis for inclusion -- Challenges to secondary school inclusion -- Overview of the service learning movement -- What is a service learning peer buddy program? -- What does a peer buddy program look like? Case example: the Metropolitan Nashville Peer Buddy Program -- Program variations -- How to use the rest of this book -- "How do I start?" Setting up a peer buddy program. Laying the groundwork. Importance of establishing a base of support -- Developing a credit service-learning course -- Recruiting participants. Encouraging student participation -- Ways to recruit peer buddies -- Strategies for screening students -- Strategies for matching students -- Developing procedures and communicating expectations. Developing program implementation procedures -- Communicating expectations to peer buddies through orientation sessions -- Compiling peer buddy handbooks -- Supporting peer buddy participants. "How do I keep it going?" Administering a peer buddy program. Addressing peer buddy support needs -- Communicating with peer buddies -- Helping peer buddies assist students with disabilities -- Communicating with and supporting school staff -- Showing appreciation for peer buddy program participants -- Implementing peer buddy programs inside and outside the classroom. Including students in general education classrooms -- Including students in non instructional school, extracurricular, and after school activities -- Including students in community based instruction -- Helping students make the transition from special to general education classrooms -- Evaluating, sustaining, and expanding a peer buddy program. Evaluating peer buddy programs and incorporating participant feedback -- Working with advisory boards to sustain programs -- Expanding a peer buddy program.
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