Peer Connect

The Webster Groves Police Department in Missouri has launched 'Peer Connect', an app designed to support the mental health of its officers. The tool gives officers a way to seek peer support and mental health resources, part of a broader effort to address stress and trauma in policing.

Ohio State University students are finding friendship and a sense of belonging through the school's recreational sports programs. A report from The Lantern highlights how intramural and casual athletic activities give students a way to meet peers, relieve academic stress, and stay active, with participants describing the leagues as a key part of campus social life.

Ravenscroft has joined Round Square, an international network of schools spanning 50 countries. Membership connects the school to a worldwide community focused on experiential learning, character development and global exchange. The announcement, shared through the school's own magazine, highlights Ravenscroft's growing international footprint and the opportunities it opens for students to engage with peers around the world.

A project led by medical residents is being highlighted by the American Medical Association for its focus on building connection, bringing moments of joy and improving well-being among doctors in training. The initiative reflects growing attention to burnout in medicine, with residents themselves designing ways to support peers' mental health and workplace culture.

A freshman at Loyola University Chicago has started both a business and a student club focused on mental health, both named Exquisitely Connected. The venture aims to build community and open conversations around wellbeing on campus, combining entrepreneurial and peer-support approaches to student mental health.

NAMI Tallahassee is highlighting the experiences of people who have lived through mental illness, using peer support to reassure community members that 'you are not alone'. The local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is drawing attention to its programs, advocacy and outreach built around firsthand experience rather than clinical distance, offering connection and resources to those affected and their families.

Students at the Thoreau School in Concord, Massachusetts are using assistive communication technology to express themselves, the Concord Bridge reports. The devices give students with speech difficulties a way to participate in class and connect with teachers and peers. Educators and families describe the tools as giving children 'their voice', highlighting how assistive tech is changing special education.

Ohio Warriors, a sled hockey program, is helping military veterans rebuild social connections after leaving service. The team gives former service members a competitive sport adapted for sled hockey while offering camaraderie that many struggle to find once their military careers end. Local coverage highlights how the group combines physical activity with peer support.