The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) National Grantee Training Conference convened from June 25—27, 2024 in San Francisco, California. The conference, 2024WARD: Building Brighter Futures with Today’s Youth Leaders, provided APP grantees with opportunities to connect, network, and learn new strategies to enhance Personal Responsibility Education Program and Sexual Risk Avoidance Education outcomes. Over 700 individuals attended the conference, which featured plenaries, workshops, and grantee networking opportunities across six core tracks: (1) Program Implementation: Lessons from the Field; (2) Program Administration: Sustainability, Program Management, Organizational Capacity, and Infrastructure; (3) Program Evaluation for Continuous Program Improvement; (4) Elevating Youth Voices; (5) Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and (6) Holistic Approaches to Supporting Positive Youth Development and Youth Well-Being.
Speakers
Opening Keynote: Kanya Balakrishna
Ms. Balakrishna is the CEO & Co-founder of The Future Project – a national youth empowerment organization dedicated to giving young people the coaching and support they need to navigate life and pursue their dreams. Since its founding in 2011, The Future Project has served tens of thousands of young people in dozens of communities across the U.S. Ms. Balakrishna provided the opening presentation of the 2024 APP Grantee Conference on the topic of developing and maintaining youth engagement within programs.
FYSB Updates: Mousumi Banikya, Kati Derrick, MeGan Hill, Owen Burns
FYSB staff presented an overview of developments and accomplishments within the APP Program over the previous year. The FYSB Updates session included an introduction to FYSB leadership and the APP Program team, an overview of recent performance measures data, updates on TA opportunities, a review of The Exchange website and We Think Twice™ campaign, and a brief Q&A.
Closing Keynote: Lasada Pippen
Mr. Pippen is a former senior computer engineer turned keynote speaker. “I feel like waking up every day. I am excited when I awake each day for the opportunity to help others find their why. For me personally, it’s much easier to wake up when you know why.” Lasada inspires people to find their why so that what they do becomes more powerful and their how becomes easier. He engages and invests in leaders, educators, professionals, and students.” Closing out the 2024 APP Grantee Conference, Mr. Pippen inspired participants to continue their impactful work with young people.
Check out presentation materials from the concurrent and poster sessions below.
Concurrent Session 1
- Better Together: Building Collaboration among Evaluators and Program Managers, Providers, and Other
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Jordyn Livingston, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
Lashonda Williams, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control - Centering Relationships: How to keep the Cycle flowing through Four Program Phases
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Denise Brave Heart, Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board
Cody Ingle, Lost & Found - Creating A Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Process That Works
- Catherine Tijerina, The RIDGE Project, Inc.
- Edutainment, Leadership, and the Success Sequence: A Triad for Youth Empowerment
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(To view the presentation, please contact Ronald Lee Jr. at rleejr@theyunion.org.)
Ronald Lee Jr, The Yunion
Charyse Marshall, The Yunion - Empowering Youth as Catalysts for Change
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Genesis Escalon, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Carmen Pavlovsky, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Katrina Ruggles, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Sharon Valadez, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools - How To Use Performance Measures Data to Document Outcomes & Improve Program Impact
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Frankie Banuelos, Young Women on the Move
Jeanne Hayes, Tri-State Research & Evaluation Services - Lessons Learned on Enhancing PREP Adulthood Preparation Subjects through Inclusive Programming
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Elizabeth Blesson, Mathematica
Diana Gates, Mathematica
Betsy Keating, Mathematica - Managing a Virtual Youth Advisory Council: Lessons from YUP!
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Brandy Brown, Sentient Research
Megan Kumar, Sentient Research - Navigating Partnerships: Challenges and Successes in Program Implementation
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Mona Desai, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Frances LaSalle-Castro, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles - Powered by Connection: Providing Sexual and Reproductive Health Education in Rural Communities
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Jill Gwilt, Mission West Virginia, Inc.
Roslyn Thomas, Office of Population Affairs - Program Lessons: Meaningful Engagement of Youth with Lived Experiences
- Stacey Little, ACF/ACYF/FYSB/DPYD
- Quo Vadis: Using Administrative Data to Illuminate Pathways to Programming for Today’s Youth Leaders
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Sai Akkenapelly, Georgia State University
Parker Foster, Georgia State University
Janice Fournillier, Georgia State University
Rosalyn Martin, Georgia State University
Syreeta Skelton Wilson, Georgia State University
Jovel Warrican, Georgia State University - Recipe for Winning Over Your Community: connecting with and gaining new community partnerships
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Miranda Nelsen, Newcap, Inc
Anna Stempa, Newcap, Inc - The South Has Something To Say: Amplifying Youth Voices in Rural South GA
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McKenzie Harpe, Family Wellness Outreach Center of GA
Cortney King, United Way of Southwest GA
Teresa Martin, Family Wellness Outreach Center of GA
Ashley Williams, Family Wellness Outreach Center of GA - Trafficking Among Children and Youth
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Cali Maceachen, Administration for Children and Families
Stephanie Marroquin, Administration for Children and Families - Unboxing Identities: An Exploration in Gender and Sexual Orientation for Educators
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Kimberly Garb, Safe Havynn Education Center
Lauren Neumeyer, Safe Havynn Education Center
Concurrent Session 2
- Advancing Health Equity through Innovation: OPA’s Innovation Hubs
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Sarah Axelson, Power to Decide
Mona Desai, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Milagros Garrido, Healthy Teen Network
Alethia Gregory, The Policy and Research Group
April Lat, Healthy Teen Network
Jenita Parekh, Child Trends
Amy Peterson, ETR
Noor Qaragholi, The Policy and Research Group
Katy Sullentrop, RTI International - Benefits of Intentionally Focusing on Impacting Scientifically-derived Predictors of Sexual Activity
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Tammy Bryant, Heritage Community Services
Li’a Seui, Intersections, Inc - Centering Culture: Creation of a Sexual Education Cultural Curriculum Compendium
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Anna Schmitt, YARROW, LLC
Carol Williamson, Blackfeet Manpower One Stop - Exploring Effective Sexual Health Strategies on College and University Campuses
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Kelsey Olson, Healthy Futures of Texas
Paris Rangel, Healthy Futures of Texas - Harnessing Parent/Caregiver Support in APP Programming: Integrating Resources from We Think Twice™
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Barri Burrus, RTI International
Denise Dickinson, RTI International
Ricky Richard, Family and Youth Services Bureau - Harnessing the Power of Multiple Funding Streams for Parental Engagement to Build Community Support
- Jessica Shields, NJ Department of Health
- Incorporating Youth Voice into Programmatic Work: The Necessity of Youth Advisory Boards
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Abigail McCleery, Indiana Department of Health
Samantha Mundt, Indiana Department of Health
Kate Schedel, Indiana Department of Health - Learning to Hear Me, so that I can Properly Hear You!
- Kiara Samuels, Duffy’s Hope
- Making People CARE: Social Emotional Learning and Consent Education
- Kelly Gainor, ETR
- Nurturing Positive Youth Development: Transformative Impact of Teen Vibe Camps
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Kelley Luckett, YMCA
Daiya Thompson, YMCA of Greater Louisville - Recruitment of California Youth in Foster Care
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Sade Daniels, Dae Dreams Affirmed
Seow Ling Ong, ETR - Through the Lens of Virtual Reality (Oculus Quest): Empowering Future Leaders to Pursue their Dreams
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Diana Clemons, Future Leaders Outreach Network
Wilbur Dawson, Future Leaders Outreach Network
Monica Portley, Future Leaders Outreach Network - Tips and Tools for Creating a Supportive Work Environment for Sexual and Reproductive Health Staff
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Megan Hiltner, Reproductive Health National Training Center (RHNTC) powered by JSI
Oyegbemisola Oworu, Reproductive Health National Training Center (RHNTC) powered by JSI - Translating Qualitative and Quantitative Findings in Program Improvement
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Kelva Clay, Civic Heart Community Services
Jeffrey Guidry, Guidry & Associates
Sheara Jennings, University of Houston
Jasmine Pena, Civic Heart Community Services - Youth Mental Wellness: Everyone Has a Role to Play
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Antonio Crane, Wyman Center, Inc
Nathaniel Hilliard, Wyman Center, Inc
Concurrent Session 3
- Authentically Integrating Youth Voice in Prevention Programming
- Gabrielle Rivas, PRO Youth and Families
- Demystifying Data: Using Real-Time Dashboards to Support a Virtual Program for Young Parents
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Ashley Fondo, The Policy & Research Group
Elyse Mason, The Policy & Research Group - Determining the Validity of Online Survey Responses from Youth
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Immaculate Apchemengich, AMTC Associates
Jacqueline Gosz, Research Analytics Consulting LLC
Angela Turner, AMTC & Associates
Cindy Walker, Research Analytics Consulting LLC - Elevating Youth Voice Through Social Media
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Guadalupe Hernandez, Bee Busy Inc
Ralph Nickerson, Bee Busy, Inc
Jeremy Tillis, Bee Busy, Inc - Empowering Justice-Impacted Youth
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Blake Tijerina, The RIDGE Project
Maggie Westrick, The RIDGE Project - Exploring the Rise of On-Demand Programs: A Comprehensive Overview
- Brandon Tijerina, TYRO Support Services
- Igniting the Passion Within to Promote Youth Wellness
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Genesis Escalon, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Carmen Pavlovsky, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Katrina Ruggles, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools
Sharon Valadez, Center Viking Youth Club/Center Consolidated Schools - Keeping Youth Engaged: Retention Techniques for a Digital APP Intervention
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Zabryna Balén, Child Trends
Marisa Cervantes, MyHealthEd, Inc
Maeve Day, Child Trends
Emma Pliskin, Child Trends - Let’s Talk: Youth Mental Health
- Samantha Gillis, National Runaway Safeline
- Liberating Consent Through Intersectional Perspectives
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Theodore Isoz, Colorado Sexual Health Initiative – CDHS
Goddess Tyescha, Colorado Department of Human Services - Newcomers to Game Changers: Transforming Youth Futures For New Grantees
- Arial Moore, Safe Havynn Education Center
- Project With: The Challenges of Rigorously Evaluating an Intervention for Justice Involved Youth
- John Lewis, Urban Strategies
- Providing Accessible Comprehensive Sex Ed for Youth with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
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Margaux Cameron, Oregon Health Authority
Lindsay Sauvé, Oregon Health & Science University
Lindsay Weaver, Oregon Health Authority - Raw, Real Talk on Everything Young Parenting: The YUP! Podcast
- Brandy Brown, Sentient Research
- Resiliency and Strength: A Diversity, Equity and Peer Leadership Model
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Tarita Johnson, Wholistic Stress Control Institute
Kelvin Walston, Wholistic Stress Control Institute - Stepping Stones: An Innovative Approach to Improve Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH)
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Kari Kesler, Public Health – Seattle & King County
Amanda Leeson, US DHHS Office of Population Affairs - The Making of a Racial Equity Work Group
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Melanie Chasteen, Healthy Futures of Texas
Paris Rangel, Healthy Futures of Texas - The role of program components in youth outcome change
- Julius Anastasio, Mathematica
- The role of youth engagement in program implementation and youth outcomes
- Jennifer Walzer, Mathematica
- What’s in the secret sauce? Core components of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs
- Emily Forrester, Mathematica
- Yes and Know: A Virtual Intervention Integrating Group-Based Education with Digital Tools
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Rebecca Braun, ETR
Mara Decker, UCSF
Concurrent Session 4
- Advancing Student Impact Through Staff Professional Development
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Bethany Luis, Healthy Futures of Texas
Sarah McQueen, Healthy Futures of Texas - An Introduction to PYD and How to Measure It
- Matt Evans, Evans Evaluation
- Censorship, Barriers, and Wins When Recruiting Young People for Virtual APP Interventions
- Milagros Garrido, Healthy Teen Network
- Connecting with Communities, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Toolkit
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Andrea Gallegos, Arizona Department of Health Services
Ruth Grande, Arizona Department of Health Services
Jessica Lopez, Arizona Department of Health Services - Developing Modified Sexual Risk Avoidance Programs for Youth Living with Developmental Disabilities
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Diana Contreras, CityServe Network
Anthony Ledoux, CityServe Network - Engaging Indigenous and Other Minoritized Populations and their Youth in Evaluation
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Joelfre Grant, Brazelton Touchpoints Center
Katie Kao, Brazelton Touchpoints Center
Courtney Lincoln, Brazelton Touchpoints Center - Field-tested Strategies for Supporting Youth Well-being: Lessons from Ohio (State PREP)
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Tyler Arvin, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Maurice Cole, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Lauren McHenry, Nationwide Children’s Hospital - Finding the Best Fit: Determining Which Curriculum is Right for Your Program
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Quinn Brophy, Wyoming Department of Health
Megan Selheim, Wyoming Department of Health - FREE -Fostering Relationships with Equitable Experts: How to build community partnerships at no cost
- Scharron Kane, Ohio Department of Youth Services
- Pathways to Successful Partnerships for Adolescent Sexual Health Promotion: Lessons from El Camino
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Carolyn Camacho, Identity
Fermin Delsalto, Identity
Jennifer Manlove, Child Trends
Alison McClay, Child Trends
Shaniah Smith, Child Trends
Martha Yumiseva, University of Maryland - Planning with Purpose: Using Implementation Science to support High Quality Program Delivery
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Antonio Crane, Wyman Center, Inc.
Nathaniel Hilliard, Wyman Center, Inc. - Protective and Risk Behaviors of High School Youth and Their Associations with Key Outcomes
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Shireen Assaf, Family and Youth Services Bureau
Resa Matthew, Family and Youth Services Bureau - Recovering Student Voice: Passive Parent Consent for Active Student Voice
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Dawn Carpenter, CPRD/University of Illinois
Marie Coobs, Center for Prevention Research and Development - Serving Teen Parents in a Community Setting: Implementation of the MotherWise Program
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Jessica Purcel, Thriving Families
Galena Rhoades, Thriving Families, University of Denver - Strategies to meaningfully engage youth in program design, implementation, and evaluation
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Ashley Funes, LAYC
Rachel Katz, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
Jennifer Manlove, Child Trends
Cody Ragonese, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
Kate Welti, Child Trends - What We Learned in 2023
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Desiree Amos, American Indian Resource Center
Deborah Scott, American Indian Resource Center - You Can Take Action for Adolescents
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Armin Aflaki, Office of Population Affairs
Roslyn Thomas, Office of Population Affairs - Youth Challenge Program: An alternative for young men to get empowered, educated, and equipped
- Deidra Jessie-Hill, Louisiana Department of Health
Poster Session
- A Data Strategy for Robust Continuous Improvement
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Emily Tanner, Tanner Behavioral Sciences
Jeff Tanner, Tanner Behavioral Sciences - Activate the Evidence! Moving from Research to Practice in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
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Samuel Beckwith, Child Trends
Mindy Scott, Child Trends - Adolescent Schema Development & Risk Avoidance
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Emily Tanner, Tanner Behavioral Sciences
Jeff Tanner, Tanner Behavioral Sciences - Can You See Me? Navigating Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Classroom
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Kimberly Garb, Safe Havynn Education Center
Lauren Neumeyer, Safe Havynn Education Center - Empowering through Peer Facilitation: A Comprehensive Approach to Sexual Risk Avoidance Education
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Kelley Luckett, YMCA
Daiya Thompson, YMCA of Greater Louisville - Fidelity, Building as You Go: Using Fidelity Analysis to Develop CQI for APP Programs
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Linda Holmstrand, Ohio University
Melanie Quolke, Ohio University - FYSB PREP Performance Measures
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Kathleen Derrick, Family and Youth Services Bureau
Katherine Godesky, Family and Youth Services Bureau - FYSB SRAE Performance Measures
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MeGan Hill, Family and Youth Services Bureau
Tecia Sellers, Family and Youth Services Bureau - Hidden In Plain Sight
- Hillary Gore, Mission West Virginia
- Improving Participant Retention through an Evidence-Based Retention Model
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Whitney Garney, Texas A&M University
Sydney Hineline, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Caitlin Holden, Texas A&M University
Andrea Meisman, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Hospital
Brittany Rosen, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Kelly Wilson, Texas A&M University - Inclusive and Gender Transformative Curricula: why we need it and how to do it meaningfully
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Rachel Katz, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
Cody Ragonese, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice - Me & You Too: Empowering 6th Graders for Healthy Decision-Making and Risk Avoidance in Southeast TX
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Robert Addy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
John Atkinson, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Stephany Bauer, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Margaret Kamholz, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Victoria Kwentua, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Christine Markham, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Melissa Peskin, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - Me & You Too: Understandings of Computer-based Lessons in Sexual Risk Avoidance Education
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Robert Addy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
John Atkinson, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Stephany Bauer, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Belinda Hernandez, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Margaret Kamholz, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Victoria Kwentua, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Christine Markham, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Melissa Peskin, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Ross Shegog, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - Measuring More Than Penile-Vaginal Sex: Baseline Sexual Behaviors from the SafeSpace Evaluation
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Zabryna Balén, Child Trends
Marisa Cervantes, MyHealthEd, Inc.
Elizabeth Cook, Child Trends
Maeve Day, Child Trends
Jennifer Manlove, Child Trends
Claudia Nunez-Eddy, Power to Decide
Emma Pliskin, Child Trends
Riley Steiner, Power to Decide - Overcoming Complex Challenges Facing Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health Programmatic Efforts
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Caitlin Holden, Texas A&M University
Kelly Wilson, Texas A&M University - Promoting Equity and Leadership Opportunities for BIPOC Adolescents and Young Adults
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Jennie Blakney, NJ Department of Health
Jessica Shields, NJ Department of Health - Relationship and intimacy education among Black youth: FRIEND program evaluation findings
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Tiffany Chenneville, Life-skills Empowerment and Development Services, Inc
Kemesha Gabbidon, University of South Florida
Marlaina Satcher, Life-skills Empowerment and Development Services, Inc
Gabriella Silva, University of South Florida - Resilience Among Participants in an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Research Trial.
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Immaculate Apchemengich, AMTC Associates
Karen Johnson, Trinity Church
Brandon Osborn, AMTC Associates
Angela Turner, AMTC & Associates
Cindy Walker, Research Analytics Consulting LLC - Sexual Agency: A strengths-based approach to measuring sexuality education outcomes
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Elizabeth Cook, Child Trends
Jennifer Manlove, Child Trends
Emma Pliskin, Child Trends
Kate Welti, Child Trends - Streamlining Program Delivery and Improving Student Engagement
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Kara Beth Coward, Strategic Solutions for Families Inc.
Jenniffer Palmer, Strategic Solutions for Families, Inc. - Working through Challenges: Conducting an evaluation of sexual health curricula in the community
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Whitney Garney, Texas A&M University
Sydney Hineline, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Caitlin Holden, Texas A&M University
Andrea Meisman, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Hospital
Brittany Rosen, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Kelly Wilson, Texas A&M University