2027 NASPA Peer Education Conference

January 7 - 9, 2027 | Austin, TX

Join us at the 2027 Peer Education Conference (formerly General Assembly), now part of the NASPA Strategies Conferences in Austin, TX. Students and advisors from across the nation will gather in-person to be inspired, share ideas, and build exceptional peer education programs promoting strategies in health, safety, and student leadership.

About

NASPA's Peer Education Conference: a NASPA Strategies Conference affords peer educators and advisors a tremendous selection of learning opportunities to contribute to the development of individual peer educators, groups, advisors, and the field of peer education. The Peer Education Conference also provides pre-conference learning opportunities to enhance the conference experience, including the Certified Peer Educator (CPE) Train-the-Trainer Course.

The Peer Education Conference is the premier annual gathering for peer educators and their advisors to connect, learn, and grow. Through engaging sessions and shared experiences, attendees explore emerging campus wellness trends, strengthen practical leadership and facilitation skills, and discover innovative approaches to peer education. Whether you're looking to deepen your knowledge, bring fresh ideas back to your campus, or build meaningful connections with others doing this work, the conference offers inspiration, skill-building, and community in equal measure. You’ll leave with actionable tools, new perspectives, and renewed motivation to prioritize student well-being and peer-led impact.

To learn more about Conference Registration, Full Schedule, Featured Speakers, Continuing Education, Venue, or Sponsors, click HERE to be redirected to the NASPA Strategies Conferences main page.

Conference Themes and Learning Outcomes

The 2027 Peer Education Conference themes are intentionally designed to create a well-rounded learning experience for both peer educators and their advisors. Together, the themes guide participants through understanding current trends and challenges facing campus communities, developing the individual skills needed to address those challenges, and exploring innovative, adaptable strategies that can be brought back to their own campuses. Whether you're planning to submit a session or simply looking ahead to what you'll learn, explore each theme in more detail below to see how they shape the full conference experience.

▼Current Trends and Emerging Issues

Sessions in this category should expose peer educators and/or advisors to emerging issues, evolving trends, and forward-facing challenges that may influence the peer education landscape. Sessions should raise awareness, spark critical thinking, and equip attendees to respond proactively to new developments affecting student wellness and peer-led initiatives.

Identify emerging trends in campus, community, and digital wellness that impact peer education initiatives.
Explore effective strategies for engaging a broad range of student perspectives within peer education efforts.
Assess evolving factors influencing peer educator group development, recruitment, and retention, and discuss adaptable solutions for various campus environments.

▼Individual Skill Building and Leadership Development

Sessions in this category should focus on equipping peer educators and/or advisors with practical skills to strengthen their impact and confidence. Sessions may build core leadership competencies (public speaking, program planning, group facilitation, retention strategies, etc.) and/or enhance attendees’ ability to effectively engage with key content areas (mental health and well-being, substance misuse prevention, bystander intervention, sexual health, etc.).

Build practical and interpersonal skills to strengthen a peer educator’s or advisor’s effectiveness in their role.
Evaluate current research and best practices in contemporary health education to design high-impact programming.
Develop leadership, supervision, and mentorship skills that foster meaningful connection, collaboration, and support.

▼Adaptable Solutions and Innovative Approaches

Sessions in this category should highlight creative, student-driven programs and forward-thinking strategies that can be adapted and implemented across campuses. Topics may include successful policy advocacy, data-informed program redesign, or innovative wellness initiatives. Sessions should leave attendees with tangible tools, templates, or actionable ideas they can apply to their own peer education efforts.

Identify innovative and promising strategies for prevention, harm reduction, and risk reduction programming.
Explore how successful peer education initiatives can be adapted across different campus contexts.
Apply evaluation data to strengthen programs, inform planning, and promote student engagement.
Demonstrate how peer education groups can foster collaboration to support students engaging in high-risk behaviors.
Train student leaders to use creative, solution-focused approaches to address campus challenges.

Build Your Peer Education Expertise: Register for the Full-Day Pre-Con Bundle!

New and emerging peer education advisors are encouraged to take advantage of our full-day pre-conference bundle, featuring Advisors Academy: Foundations in Peer Education Advising and Certified Peer Educator (CPE) Train the Trainer.

Advisors Academy explores the why behind peer education, including best practices for advising students, student development, and building effective campus programs, while CPE Train the Trainer focuses on the how—preparing participants to facilitate NASPA’s CPE curriculum and train students to earn their certifications.

Together, these sessions offer a comprehensive foundation in both advising and implementation to help you strengthen your peer education program and support student leaders. Select the convenient bundle during conference registration!

Venue and Hotel

2027 Strategies Conferences activities will take place at the JW Marriott in Austin, TX

JW Marriott Austin

110 E 2nd Street

Austin, TX 78701

Reserve Today

BACCHUS Scholarship Application

BACCHUS emerged in 1975, creating a pioneering peer education model focused on alcohol consciousness for university students. In 2014, BACCHUS joined NASPA, continuing to empower peer education groups and broadening its commitment to peer education through high-impact, evidence-based learning.

Today, Peer Education Initiatives at NASPA continues to carry the mission of BACCHUS, which revolutionized student affairs, emphasizing collaboration and proactive health promotion, leaving a lasting legacy as a successful model for peer education programs.

It is with this spirit and the generous support from members, friends, staff & alumni that the BACCHUS Scholarship continues to fund attendance at the NASPA Peer Education Conference (formerly General Assembly) by covering the cost of registration. Peer educators from NASPA Institutional member campuses are eligible to apply.

2027 Scholarship Applications have closed.

The BACCHUS Scholarship is available to peer educators who are interested in attending the 2027 NASPA Peer Education Conference at Strategies. Applications closed on October 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Want to help more students attend the Peer Education Conference? Consider making a donation to the BACCHUS Scholarship. Your contribution helps make professional development, connection, and learning opportunities more accessible to student peer educators.

Questions? If you have questions about the BACCHUS Scholarship, please contact pei@naspa.org. If you missed the due date, we encourage you to explore the NASPA Foundation Professional Development Access Scholarships for additional opportunities to support your attendance. These scholarships offer the opportunity for NASPA members to stay connected to the field and the Association by covering the cost of a NASPA conference registration and the associated lodging.

Peer Education Awards

Every year, the Peer Education Initiatives, a part of the Health, Safety, and Well-being Initiatives of NASPA and carrying forward the legacy of BACCHUS, proudly recognize outstanding achievements in peer education.

These awards celebrate peer educators, their advisors, peer education groups, graduate students, and programs that exemplify the innovative spirit and commitment to student well-being that BACCHUS pioneered. Award finalists will be featured and winners will be announced during the award ceremony. To see past winners, click here.

2026 Peer Education Awards Nominations Are Now Open!

Do you know an outstanding peer educator, advisor, peer education group, or graduate student who deserves to be recognized?

Nominate a peer education champion today! Nominations recognize work and contributions made between November 2025 and October 2026. Award finalists will be featured and winners will be announced during the 2026 Peer Education Awards ceremony at the NASPA Peer Education Conference at Strategies.

Submit a 2026 Peer Education Award Nomination

2026 Award Categories

Outstanding Peer Education Group Award - This award recognizes peer education groups that have done exceptional work on their campuses. Awards will be granted to peer education groups that have consistently provided health, safety, and well-being education for students on their campuses in the past year.
Outstanding Advisor Award - This award recognizes peer education advisors' commitment to peer education efforts, unique talents as a peer education advisor, leadership ability, and presence as a positive role model for peer educators.
Outstanding Peer Education Program Award - This award recognizes creativity and overall effectiveness in campus awareness and education. Selected programs will represent the diversity of health, safety, and well-being topics. Programs must have occurred in the 2025 calendar year. You are free to discuss the number of attendees in your application, but please note that high attendance is not as important as the creativity and overall effectiveness of the program.
Outstanding Peer Educator Award - This award recognizes students’ contributions to campus peer education efforts, academic successes, and leadership.
The Gerardo M. Gonzalez Award for Graduate Student Service in Peer Education: This award recognizes a single graduate student working in a leadership role as part of a peer education group, commitment to peer education, health, safety, & well-being efforts, and presence as a positive role model for undergraduate peer educators who are working towards a healthy campus community.

Nominate a Peer Education Champion! Help us celebrate the people and programs making a difference through peer education. If you know someone whose work deserves to be recognized, submit a nomination!

Nominations close November 6, 2026

Take My Show on Your Road! Programming Showcase

Have you and your fellow peer educators created a program, campaign, or initiative that made a difference on your campus? Have you found a creative way to engage students, spark conversations, or promote health, safety, and well-being? We want to learn from you!

In the spirit of sharing what works, the NASPA Peer Education Conference invites students and campus teams to participate in Take My Show on Your Road! Programming Showcase.

Whether you’ve developed an innovative awareness campaign, facilitated an engaging workshop, launched a campus collaboration, or found a new way to connect with your peers, this is your chance to showcase your work and help others bring great ideas back to their own campuses. Share your successes, lessons learned, and resources that other peer educators can adapt for their campuses.

Participants will share their work through an interactive table showcase. NASPA will provide a table and chairs, and you’re encouraged to bring program materials, handouts, photos, or other creative displays. Traveling light? No problem, there are plenty of ways to share your work in a compact format!

This showcase is intended for campus-based programs and initiatives, offering students and institutional teams a space to learn from one another and celebrate the impact of peer-led work.

Ready to share your story? Submit the participation interest form linked here by December 4, 2026. The planning committee will review submissions and follow up with additional details and logistics after that date.

NASPA Customer Service

Payment & Registration Policies

events@naspa.org

Sponsorship Questions

Juan Pelaez-Barboza

JPelaezBarboza@naspa.org

Other Event Questions

NASPA Event Contact

strategies@naspa.org