ORANGE BEACH — Elementary, middle and high school students from public, private, parochial and homeschool groups across the county gathered at The Wharf on Nov. 5 and 6 to celebrate the 12th-annual Peer Helpers Jubilee.

Peer Helpers is a program under the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation (JCMF) that can be set up in school organizations to support Baldwin County youth's social and emotional well-being, according to jennifermoorefoundation.com.

JCMF's mission is to provide programs, services and resources that are supportive of emotional well-being for Baldwin County youth. JCMF aims to inform the community of compassionate and positive ways to view mental health and resiliency.

At the jubilee, elementary Peer Helpers gathered on Nov. 5 to listen to encouraging speakers and hangout at the movie theater for a day. On Nov. 6, middle and high school Peer Helpers attended for a similar celebration.

For the elementary crowd, Timothy Alexander spoke on the power of words, Jenni Shaefer gave a speech titled "Everybody is Okay," and a group from St. Michael Catholic Church presented on "Superpowers Within; Confidence, Connection and Compassion."

Alexander spoke on the power of words to the middle and high school students the next day, while Shaefer gave a speech titled "Do You Have an 'Ed' in Your Head?" Instead of St. Michael, a group from Whiddon College of Medicine spoke to middle and high schoolers on a presentation titled "From the Field to the Hallway: Who's Got Your Back?"

The jubilee is organized through the program, officially called Peer Helpers PLUS. When applied to a school setting, it has two components: PATH and Peer Helpers.

"PATH is a comprehensive, prevention and coping skill development curriculum with lessons that address bullying and technology, mental health and suicide, drugs and alcohol, the four types of abuse, as well as age-appropriate healthy coping strategies," the website reads. "Peer helpers are a diverse group of students within each school, brought together and taught skills to equip them with strategies necessary to support their peers through daily issues and life obstacles. The Peer Helpers act as a friendly face to incoming new students, act as mentors and tutors to fellow students, raise awareness around trending issues in their schools and communities and support their schools by creating a climate of kindness."

The Peer Helper Jubilee is an annual event for Peer Helpers across the county to have an opportunity to gather together and celebrate the compassionate and supportive values of the program.