A University-Level Mindfulness Peer Education Program: Development and Evaluation Outcomes

Mindfulness practice has benefits for health and stress management. The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) offers peer education certification programs for universities to expand access to health and wellness education. However, few studies have examined NASPA-affiliated peer education program development or outcomes in university settings. We outline the creation and evaluation of a mindfulness peer education program after one year of implementation at a large public university in the midwestern United States. The program incorporated group discussions, self-reflective writing exercises, and guided mindfulness exercises to promote student learning and mindfulness practice. Program activities included The Mindful Jar, alternate nostril breathing, gratitude practice, mindful eating, and body scan meditation. Seven in-person on-campus programs were facilitated during the 2019–20 academic year with 116 college students completing program evaluations. Ten learning outcomes were rated on a Likert scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). On average, all learning outcomes were achieved. All five mindfulness activities were endorsed as favorite program aspects, with the body scan meditation as the most commonly chosen. Results indicate that mindfulness can be offered to university students via peer education programs. Future research about the short-term and long-term implications of peer education programs are warranted to better understand the role of this educational approach on student biopsychosocial outcomes.