University of Washington Honors Program

Honors Peer Facilitators (PFs) are leaders in the Honors community. They are integral in welcoming, mentoring, and informing incoming Honors students. In autumn quarter, PFs lead a small section of Honors 100 students, focused on building community and sharing their insights and experiences with the Honors curriculum, community, and resources. To prepare for autumn, Peer Facilitators will attend a retreat and meetings throughout the spring and fall quarter that focus on skill development and program planning. Throughout autumn quarter, Peer Facilitators will meet with their PF cohort and the Honors 100 instructor to discuss questions, concerns, and challenges while facilitating Honors 100 sections.

What do Peer Facilitators Do?

Spring & Summer – Preparation and Training

In the spring, Peer Facilitators will meet their fellow cohort members and begin preparation for the autumn quarter alongside the Honors 100 instructor. Honors PFs will begin to develop facilitation plans, grow their facilitation skills, reflect on their personal strengths and areas of growth, and build a supportive community with one another. PFs will be given an outline of the activities and goals of each section of Honors 100 that they will lead to will help guide their facilitation plans. PFs will work collaboratively with the Honors 100 instructor and their PF cohort to receive feedback and support as they develop their facilitation plans. In the summer, PFs will meet with the Honors 100 instructor one-on-one at least once to check-in. 

Autumn – HONORS 100 

In the autumn quarter, Peer Facilitators will lead one section (12 -18 registered Honors 100 students), for a total of four times throughout the quarter. PFs will serve as mentors to students in your section, sharing your insights and experiences with the Honors curriculum, community, and resources with new Honors students. You will also attend meetings with your PF cohort and the Honors 100 instructor to share ideas and receive support.

Requirements and Key Dates

  • Attendance and participation in Honors Peer Facilitator Welcome Night on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 5:00 PM-6:00 PM
  • Attendance and participation in an all-day retreat on Saturday, April 5th, 2025 9:00-5:00 PM. Attendance and completion of the retreat is REQUIRED to act as a Peer Facilitator. 
  • Attendance and participation in three in-person spring quarter meetings, Wednesdays, 4/16, 4/30, 5/14, 4:00 PM-5:30PM .
  • Completion of one remote check-in with the Honors 100 instructor over the summer (times and dates TBD)
  • Facilitation of an Honors 100 section four times throughout autumn quarter, attendance at the first and last Honors 100 lecture, and attendance at bi-weekly check-in meetings throughout autumn quarter
    • Honors 100 lecture/section time: Mondays OR Tuesdays, 3:30 PM-4:50 PM
    • PF autumn check-in meetings: Wednesdays, 3:30- 5:00 PM; exact dates TBD.
  • Individual time devoted outside of  meeting times in spring and autumn quarter to effectively prepare for individual Honors 100 sections

Responsibilities and Benefits

Responsibilities

  • Attend 1 in-person spring retreat, 3 in-person meetings, and a 1-on-1 summer meeting with the Honors 100 instructor
  • Plan and organize activities for Honors 100 sections, focusing on community building, mentorship, and knowledge sharing
  • Lead facilitation of one section of 12-18 Honors 100 students four times during autumn quarter
  • Attend first Honors 100 large lecture 
  • Attend bi-weekly check-in meetings in the autumn quarter
  • In collaboration with the Honors 100 instructor, support students in guiding them through Honors 100 assignments and projects
  • Foster a welcoming, supportive community within Honors 100 and Honors Program by providing mentorship and support to our newest Honors students in the autumn quarter

Benefits

  • Have fun and build community with our newest Honors Huskies and the Peer Facilitator cohort!
  • Priority Registration for an Honors course: All PF’s will be invited to request priority registration for one Honors course offered in the winter OR spring quarter
  • Experiential Learning: This experience is eligible for application to the Honors Program Experiential Learning leadership or community engagement/service requirement
  • Receive Honors branded swag 
  • Develop and grow your facilitation, leadership, collaboration, and mentorship skills

Eligibility to apply

Any current Interdisciplinary Honors students that have completed HONORS 100 are eligible to apply.

Apply Now!

The Peer Facilitator Application for 2025 will open on Monday, January 13th, 2025 and will close on Monday, January 27th at 9:00 am PST.

2025 Peer Facilitator Application

2025 Application Timeline & Process

Recruitment & Selection Process Dates & Details
Application Opens Application opens Monday, January 13th, 2025 via online submission
Application Deadline Applications are due Monday, January 27th, 2025, by 9:00am PST via online submission
Interview Offers All candidates will receive an email from honors100@uw.edu between Friday, January 31st, 2025 and February 3rd, by 5pm PST regarding an invitation to interview for the PF role
Interview Offer Response Deadline If selected, please sign up for an interview date and time by Tuesday, February 4th at 12pm PST. Failure to meet this deadline will forfeit your candidacy.
Interview Confirmation Interview date, time and details will be emailed to you by Tuesday, February 4th at 5pm PST
Group Interviews Group interviews will take place between February 5th-13th, 2025, exact times TBD
Peer Facilitator Status Notifications All candidates will receive an email from honors100@uw.edu Wednesday, February 19th by 5 PM PST informing them of their status of being selected for the Peer Facilitator opportunity
Deadline to Accept If selected, candidates will have until Monday, February 24th at 9:00am PST to accept or decline

Common Questions

What type of qualifications, skills, or characteristics are you looking for in a Peer Facilitator candidate?

You don’t need to have extensive leadership, public speaking or curriculum planning experience to be selected as a Peer Facilitator, however, you do need to have a desire to challenge yourself, learn, and grow throughout the preparation and facilitation of HONORS 100 with the support of your peers, instructor, and Honors staff. Here are some qualities we look for in potential Peer Facilitators, please note that this list is not extensive:

  • Desire to understand and apply the values of educational equity, as well as a desire to create an inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
  • Ability to speak through personal experience, and a willingness to share some of those personal experiences/stories with your students.
  • Creativity and enthusiasm for supporting the Honors Program and larger UW community.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills; demonstrated ability to balance a variety of activities, including academics and extracurricular activities.
  • Demonstrated involvement on campus or in the community OR articulated desire to build leadership experience.
  • Ability to articulate the value and purpose of assignments and activities.
  • Strong interpersonal communication skills: ability to work well with peers, new students, staff; ability to listen and respond to individuals’ questions and concerns; ability to help others problem solve and make decisions.
  • Collaboration skills – be open to learning from and with fellow PFs, your students, and instructor.
  • Public speaking ability – be comfortable presenting in front of an audience of 15–20 people and facilitating discussions AND/OR have a desire to improve and a willingness to challenge yourself.

What type of activities will I be facilitating as a Peer Facilitator?

 HONORS 100 Sections

During the HONORS 100 quiz sections, Peer Facilitators will lead a small group of 12-18 students the entirety of the 80-minute section. There will be a total of 4 sessions with the goals/activities outlined below:

  1. Community Building & Group Project Formation: PFs will lead icebreakers and an activity to help students decide their group project interest and form groups.
  2. Navigating the Honors program and requirements: PFs will share their experiences in navigating the Honors program requirements and they balance them with their other interests.
  3. Honors Peer Panel: PFs will team-up to organize their own Honors student panel, consisting of current 3rd & 4th year students and recent alumni. PFs can tap into their own network and/or work with an Honors staff member to connect to other students and recent alumni.
  4. Social and/or Educational Activity: To celebrate nearing the end of students’ first quarter with Honors, PFs will organize an activity or outing on/near campus. 

What is the time commitment like?

Please see the Requirements and Key Dates section above for more information about the retreats, meetings, as well as other required events. Preparation time spent outside of scheduled meeting and retreat times is up to the discretion of each Peer Facilitator. Considerable outside preparation time is not expected.