At SJS, service is at the heart of campus life—and one standout example is the Student Peer Mentoring Club. Created and led by students, the club is building bridges between MYP and DP, offering younger students a friendly, supportive space to connect with older peers.
The club was founded by Grade 11 student Lotus Lei, who first envisioned the idea during her MYP Personal Project. “It started after a conversation with our school counsellor, Ms. Bright,” Lotus explains. “She brought up the challenge of forming connections between younger and older students… so we decided to create this club in order for this bridge to be connected.” With Ms. Bright’s encouragement, Lotus spent her Grade 10 year building the concept, and when Grade 11 began, the club officially launched.
To support the development of the club, Lotus also successfully applied for a Canada Youth Grant, which provided funding for resources and activities. This grant, offered by the Public Health Agency of Canada, supports youth-led projects that promote positive mental health outcomes.
Lotus led the initiative from the ground up, recruiting mentors and shaping the club’s focus. She was later joined by Grade 10 student Anna Li, who had been inspired by a nonprofit organization promoting tutoring between older and younger students. “I thought it would be cool if we could start something like that at SJS,” Anna says. Together, the two students have worked to grow the club and expand its impact.
Lunchtime Connections
Held during Wednesday lunchtimes, the Peer Mentoring Club is a drop-in space for students in Grades 6 and 7 to meet with older peers, chat and connect over games and conversation. The sessions are relaxed and informal, but the goal is meaningful: building friendships and easing transitions.
“For me, I thought it would have helped a lot if I knew someone in an older grade,” Lotus reflects. “Especially going up to a new floor and meeting new teachers—it can feel like a big change.”
The club currently features a team of mentors from Grades 8 to 11, with activities grouped into three areas: board games, academic support and peer counseling. Right now, the focus is on games, as a natural way to build comfort and relationships. “It’s fun,” Anna adds. “The Grade 6s are really sweet.”
For now, the reward is in the small, meaningful moments. “There’s a couple girls I see every week,” Anna says. “It’s really cute when you see them in the hallway and they smile and wave at you.”
The Peer Mentoring Club reflects what makes SJS special: school spirit, acts of service and a deep sense of care about the community.
