Heart to Hearts Peer Support

Heart to Hearts is a peer support initiative that empowers student volunteers to offer compassionate, heart-centered listening to fellow students while developing emotional intelligence, relational skills, and self-awareness. By holding space for others, volunteers also strengthen their own capacity for empathy, presence, and personal well-being. As a key initiative of Wellness Services at Huron University, Heart to Hearts volunteers contribute to a campus culture of care, inclusion, and connection. To earn this CanCred badge, volunteers completed online training in empathetic listening, ethical engagement, bias-awareness, and the Recognize, Respond, Refer, and Reflect framework through More Feet On The Ground and Sidewalk Talk. Following their listening role at a Heart to Hearts event, volunteers participated in a facilitated debrief to reflect on their experience, personal growth, and the impact of peer support. Badge earners engaged meaningfully in this process, offering compassionate presence to peers while contributing to a more connected and supportive campus environment.

Skills Learned

| Active listening | Rapport-building | Compassionate presence | Nonjudgemental support | Reflective questioning | Bias awareness

Earning Criteria:

• Complete 1.5 hours of online training, including Sidewalk Talk Listener training and More Feet On The Ground (This training only needs to be completed once to volunteer as a Heart to Hearts listener.)
• Provided heart-centered, supportive listening to peers during the keystone Heart to Hearts event
• Participate in a facilitated post-event debrief focused on reflection and personal growth