Peer Educators in National Panhellenic Conference Sororities

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member organizations have numerous officer positions that might be informally defined as peer educators based on their position responsibilities. Little is known about these officers’ experiences as peer educators, the amount of training they receive, and their effectiveness in providing relevant and purposeful programs for their chapters. The purpose of this study was to better understand peer educators’ experiences within NPC sororities. If the experiences and leadership development of peer educators in NPC sororities are better understood, more can be done to support them in creating meaningful programs and services for their sisters. By supporting small groups of student leaders, there is the potential that thousands of women can experience a more meaningful sorority life experience. The study’s findings helped expand the understanding of the peer educators’ experiences in NPC sororities by revealing the purpose they perceive as integral to their roles within the chapters and by illuminating how they are trained and supported in their roles. Three prominent findings emerged from this study: 1) serving as a resource for sisters; 2) varied training experiences and preparation levels; and 3) the importance of peer support networks. Additionally, these findings reinforced the lack of understanding surrounding these women’s experiences due to the diversity of their roles and experiences and the responses collected during the study. This study also presents recommendations for NPC, inter/national sorority headquarters, and on-campus fraternity and sorority life offices on ways to improve peer mentors’ training experiences, and recommendations for future research.