EARS

Founded in 1972, EARS (Empathy, Assistance & Referral Service) is a student-led volunteer organization that promotes mental health and well-being for everyone in the Cornell community. Each year, EARS reaches hundreds of students through various services, including Training, Workshops, Peer Mentoring (formerly Peer Counseling), and Empathy Chairs.

Our Services

Training

EARS Training helps foster strong personal and professional relationships by improving communication, empathy, and active listening skills. The EARS Training program offers two semesters worth of training, with Advanced Training building upon the foundational skills from the EARS model taught in Beginning Training.

Workshops

Organizations on campus can also request EARS workshops, which are led by EARS staff members and tailored to the specific preferences and needs of the organization.

Peer Mentoring

The EARS Peer Mentoring* program provides one-on-one peer support for those currently enrolled at Cornell. Peer Mentors support students through informal conversations on topics common to the student experience (e.g., adjusting to college/grad school, stress, social connections, identity, and belonging) and help get students connected to relevant well-being campus and community resources.

*The EARS Peer Mentoring program is not counseling or a professional mental health service.

Empathy Chairs

EARS provides a two-day training program for volunteers interested in serving as a point-person for support within organizations on campus, such as clubs, sports teams, and Greek life.

“I joined the EARS community during my first semester at Cornell four years ago because I connected with its mission of fostering a more empathetic and caring community. I stayed in EARS because it was the first place on campus where I felt seen, heard, and had a sense of belonging. When I reflect back on the past four years, I know that I will forever be grateful for the relationships and memories I made here in EARS because they helped shape who I am today.”

Antonia Pellegrini '23

Land Acknowledgement & Pronunciation Guide

The land acknowledgment below has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership. For the pronunciation of the names of the original inhabitants of the Ithaca area, Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' is approximately Guy-yo-KO-no, and Haudenosaunee is approximately Ho-di-no-SO-ni.

“Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.”

To learn more, visit Cornell's land acknowledgment page with the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program.