IPS 30th Anniversary
Celebrating 30 Years of IPS!
2026 marks 30 years of Intentional Peer Support and a series of international events is taking place to showcase the amazing work of IPS globally. As part of our 30 year anniversary of Intentional Peer Support, we are delighted to share with you this very precious newly created video of IPS Founder Owners Shery Mead and Chris Hansen sharing the 30 year history of IPS in their own words with a reminder of the key messages and values throughout.
Shery reminds us here that "peer support really isn't about support, its about relationships" and social change "begins with the first conversations". We love Chris's wise reminder that relationships thrive when there is "curiosity over assumption, mutuality over hierarchy, learning rather than helping."
Chris and Shery remind us that IPS has travelled far beyond where we ever imagined and that every culture, community and facilitator brings their own perspective. As we reach this landmark 30 years of IPS, Shery and Chris invite us to consider: "how do we evolve without changing what matters?" This is a valuable question for us at IPS central to reflect on as we commence the next chapter of IPS as the Founders commence their retirement.
What does Shery hope for from the next 30 years of IPS? Shery hopes IPS will become "more political- in the broader sense of the word". In this video, Chris and Shery remind us that "IPS has never belonged only to Shery. Its been carried by thousands of people who taught it and challenged it and took it into new cultures and communities."
A key message in this video is Shery's reminder for us that Intentional Peer Support is ultimately about mutuality and social change.
We hope you enjoy the video and have had the opportunity (or will have the opportunity) to attend one of our 30 years of IPS events internationally either online or in person. All events will be open to attendance from the public through advance bookings. We have in person and virtual events (with live-streaming!) planned and developing. Watch this space and our newsletter for details. We hope you can join us in celebrating our wonderful IPS community!
Colorado, USA
October 9, 2026
Join Colorado Village Collaborative for The Built Environment and a
Liberatory Approach to Peer Support in Homelessness Services
Vermont, USA
Date TBD
The IPS Vermont hub will be hosting an in person event in Burlington
Reykjavik, Iceland
The Iceland hub had their event in September
Check out the Iceland photo reel! And big thanks to Hallgrimur Hrafnsson (aka Bimi) from Traustur Kjarni for creating this video showcasing the 6 year history of Intentional Peer Support in Iceland.
Maine, USA
The Maine hub had their event in August
Seoul, South Korea, Asia
South Korea had their event in July
Netherlands
The Netherlands had their event in April
Maryland, USA
The Maryland hub had their event in April
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