This fact sheet from OPRE summarizes highlights of findings based on performance measures for Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grantees for the 2020–2021 reporting period.Fact Sheet
This brief from OPRE presents findings from youth focus groups conducted as part of the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education National Evaluation (SRAENE). The focus groups were conducted to collect information on youth’s perspectives and to understand how youth experienced SRAE programming.Review the Brief
This toolkit provides information on instruments that Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grant recipients can use to measure youth engagement in SRAE programs and what facilitators do in the classroom that promotes this engagement (which we refer to as facilitator quality that promotes youth engagement, or more simply, facilitator quality). Measuring youth engagement and facilitator quality…
Messages Matter is designed to help youth-serving providers navigate and address common challenges that can impede youth programming. This resource offers practical information and tools to expand community buy-in, increase parent engagement, and disrupt misinformation. Messages Matter builds upon key concepts, approaches, and activities presented in the Community Saturation Sourcebook and the…
Almost all teens report using the internet daily; nearly half of them are online “almost constantly.” It is clear that social media is here to stay, and it is important for parents and caregivers to understand how they can support teens’ mental health when it comes to social media use.The Social Media and Teen Mental Health guide from the Family and Youth Services Bureau can help.This guide…
Training resources for topical training.
Adolescents who experience sexual coercion can face a range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes leading to significant physical, emotional, and social consequences, including a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and having unwanted pregnancies as well as increased risk of experiencing depression and anxiety. Conversations around coercion and consent should happen…
On February 28, 2024, Asari Offiong and Zabryna Balén from Child Trends provided grantees with tools and information on using an empowerment framework to engage and educate youth in SRAE programming. They provided an overview of what an empowerment framework is, highlighting its connection to agency, autonomy, and positive youth development. They also provided background on why this framing is…
This webinar for Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantees was presented on March 20, 2024 by presenters Morayo Akande, MPH, Arik V. Marcell, MD, MPH, and Annie Smith, PhD, MPH from John Hopkins University, and Kathleen Tebb, PhD, from University of CA, San Francisco. This webinar explored how Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantees can support young male adolescents in their…
This webinar provides information regarding youth substance use in the context of sexual and reproductive health education. Presenters offer an overview of current trends in youth substance use and facilitate discussion on what grantees are seeing in the field. The presenters then provide information on the connections and parallels between youth substance use prevention and sexual and…
Healthy Families San Angelo, a community-based organization in San Angelo, Texas, successfully implemented two home visiting programs, Traditional Healthy Families and Steps to Success. The Steps to Success program is part of the federal Personal Responsibility Education Program and offers counseling on contraception and adequate birth spacing, as well as parenting and child development issues.…
PCEs are specific experiences during childhood—including adolescence—that can help build a young person’s sense of belonging and connection. PCEs have been found to be connected to greater health and well-being in adulthood and can buffer the impact of Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs). This webinar will focus on current research related to PCEs, including what they are, their impact on well-being…
Are you an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) grantee receiving funding from Family and Youth Services Bureau? Do you want to take your teen pregnancy prevention efforts to the next level, but unsure of where to start? The Exchange is the place for you. This video provides an orientation to The Exchange website and its offerings.
Having that talk with teens may feel daunting for many parents and caregivers—but it doesn’t have to be. Research shows that teens want to hear what their parents/caregivers have to say and value their opinions when making important decisions. Establishing good communication around these topics can prevent teens from engaging in risky behaviors that lead to pregnancy and sexually transmitted…
In this episode, Youth Substance Use in the Digital Age, we speak with Drs. Andra Wilkinson and Asari Offiong from Child Trends to discuss current trends around availability and access to substances and opportunities to address these concerns within programming. During adolescence, risk-taking is a normative part of development. However, when youth engage in unhealthy risks, it presents…
In this episode, Approaching Youth Mental Health Holistically, we speak with Cherry Yamane and Hannah Rackers from Child Trends to discuss mental health challenges youth face, the landscape of mental health care services, and strengths-based approaches to support youth resilience by creating spaces where youth can thrive. Mental health challenges are increasing in youth, with…
In this episode, Teen Dating Violence and Risky Sexual Behavior, we speak with Dr. Marni Kan from RTI International to learn tips and strategies to increase knowledge of TDV, best practices in addressing TDV in programming, and ways to support youth. Teaching adolescents how to form safe and healthy relationships is a key part of helping them refrain from engaging in risk-taking behaviors…
This webinar was held on April 11, 2024. It explored recent resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) focused on promoting the mental health and well-being of students. Presenters Anna Yaros, PhD, and Katy Suellentrop, MPH, from RTI International invited Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantees to consider how they might support their school partners in…
Adolescent pregnancy prevention programs are uniquely positioned to support the development of young people’s strengths, leadership skills, and healthy relationships. These programs can foster opportunities for positive youth development by integrating youth–adult partnerships (YAPs) into their programs. Through shifts in norms, including power, communication, collaboration, decision-making, and…
Self-determination is having the attitude and ability to choose and set goals, make life decisions, and work to reach one’s aims. Youth-serving providers can use self-determination principles in their programs to protect youth against risk behaviors, promote mental health, and help youth gain skills and values needed to become healthy adults. This tip sheet will help Adolescent Pregnancy…
This session reviews the legislative criteria and background that guides SRAE programing including the rationale for required components and topics to be covered and the need to ensure that all programmatic elements, including program staff, facilitators, curricula and messaging are contextualized in SRAE’s Optimal Health model.
This session was part of the FYSB SRAE Virtual Topical…
This resource guide provides tips and strategies for adolescent pregnancy prevention (APP) grantees and their partners to articulate their missions and goals to help audiences gain a clear understanding of what APP programs can offer. The resource guide summarizes the benefits of branding and provides examples of how branding can help your organization promote your programs. Use the accompanying…
This resource from We Think Twice™ can supplement your organization’s programming with middle and high school youth by offering them tools to help improve their well-being. The interactive lesson includes:
Coping and self-care practices and techniques.
Links to online resources to improve well-being and mental health.
Information about when and how to facilitate conversations about mental…
This dynamic lesson from We Think Twice™ is designed to supplement your organization’s programming with middle and high school youth. It provides youth information on identifying healthy and unhealthy messages in the media related to sex, dating, and relationships and encourages them to base their own ideas about these topics on facts, dispelled myths, and their own values. The…
Youth are often unaware of the potential long-term impacts and safety implications of digital technology. This lesson from We Think Twice™ is designed to supplement your organization’s programming with middle and high school youth by engaging youth in pondering questions about digital technology (e.g., posting on social media, accepting or declining a friend request, giving out personal…
While teen birth rates decline, disparities remain. Hear OhioHealth’s story about how its Teen Options to Prevention Pregnancy (TOPP) Program supports pregnant and parenting teens. Video publication date: May 26, 2016.
Youth are constantly bombarded by images of bodies. Whether they are conscious of it or not, they receive messages about which bodies are “good bodies” and which ones are “bad bodies” from media, doctors, family, peers, and others. For a young person, these messages can be difficult to navigate, especially along with body changes that occur during adolescence. Educators have a responsibility to…
Program management is a critical aspect of ensuring compliance with Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) legislative and notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) requirements and high-quality program implementation. This interactive webinar will offer an opportunity for PREP grantees to learn about program management tips and strategies used by current grantees to ensure PREP legislative…
A growing barrage of stressors has led to nearly 42% of U.S. high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.1 This infographic provides grantees with information about each of those stressors and the ways supportive adults can alleviate them. Learn how supportive adults can create a safe environment for youth, normalize talking about mental health, promote…
This webinar for Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantees described key principles of trauma-informed approaches and explored how youth-adult partnerships can be used as a strategy to strengthen trauma-informed approaches in SRAE programming to address the effects of community violence and other trauma on youth. The webinar reviewed effective practices for integrating trauma-informed…
The Optimizing Survey Results: Strengthening Survey Results webinar focused on practical ways to share survey results with key stakeholders such as parents, local business leaders, local service providers, schools, and policymakers to build program support. It also assisted SRAE facilitators to see the importance of clearly communicating key curricular concepts, so student progress toward optimal…
One of the most impactful decisions made by a Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) program director is who will deliver the program curriculum to program participants. This How to Interview Candidates for the SRAE Facilitator Role tip sheet provides strategies to assist you in selecting the best candidate for your SRAE facilitator, determining the most critical qualities and prior experience of…
On this episode of the Youth Voices video series, youth share their experiences and thoughts about creating engaging and inclusive environments and accommodating diverse learning styles in APP programming. Facilitators of APP programming can use this video to gain insights on how to create a classroom environment that makes youth feel safe to participate fully in class discussions. It includes…
Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) 101 provides definitions and foundational history behind our nation’s efforts to recognize the physical and emotional risks associated with non-marital sexual activity. Module 1 introduces the foundations of SRAE, including the history and theories underlying the policy and practice of sexual risk avoidance (formerly called abstinence education). Module 2…
This Topical Training examines new research to help Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) programs create more effective pathways to empower youth to overcome individual and societal barriers to healthy decision-making. Dr. Philip Hong shares how learning about the psychosocial development of youth relative to culture, environment, trauma, and their lived experiences can help them understand…
Your efforts as an SRAE grantee can influence individual, family, and community health and well-being through the distribution and visibility of participant survey results from your SRAE program.
This tip sheet explores the importance of communicating with stakeholders the specific survey results and overall outcome of your local Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) program and provides…
It is incredibly important for youth to know how to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted infections.
This infographic is a resource you can share directly with the youth you serve. It uses youth-friendly language and graphics to teach youth what STIs are, what puts them at risk for getting an STI, how to protect themselves, how to get tested for STIs, and what to do if…
Adolescent development extends beyond the physiological changes that occur in adolescence. It also encompasses cognitive, emotional, social, sexual, identity formation, and spiritual change and growth. Providing youth with the right developmental skills and competencies can help them overcome the challenges they encounter during the adolescent period. This webinar provides an overview of broad…
FYSB’s new video in the Youth Voices series, PREP Matters: Teens Speak Out on the Value of the Personal Responsibility Education Program, underscores the critical importance of PREP programming for youth. In this video, youth share their thoughts about the importance of early and regular educational experiences designed to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. They discuss the…
Visit the NTPP Month Digital Toolkit for information, graphics, and social media content you—and the teens you serve—can use to help spread the word about teen pregnancy prevention.
NTPP Month Digital Toolkit
This brief summarizes key characteristics of youth participants in programs funded through the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), which aims to reduce teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and associated risk behaviors. The research questions addressed in the brief include:
Whom did PREP programs serve?
Where did PREP implement programming for youth?
How did youth…
This tip sheet describes types of parent involvement and provides concrete examples for how adolescent pregnancy prevention (APP) program providers can engage parents.
This brief summarizes key characteristics of programs funded through the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), which aims to reduce teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and associated risk behaviors. The research questions addressed in the brief include:
How many youth participated in the PREP program?
How many providers and facilitators delivered PREP programming to…
In episode one, "Building and Strengthening Partnerships,"" Elevate Youth Programming sat down with Debbie Herget and Edna Wallace with RTI International's Education and Workforce Development (EWD) Division to discuss strengthening partnerships with schools. Partnering with schools is a practical approach to reaching a large number of youth with quality programming. In fact, schools are the most…
In episode two, “Navigating the New Norm,” Elevate Youth Programming sat down with Kelly Gainor from ETR to discuss engaging students, implementing adaptations with fidelity, and maximizing time with participants in a virtual setting. Although pandemic restrictions are lifting, many organizations find themselves continuing to navigate fully remote or hybrid learning environments. Some have even…
Because the brain is still developing executive functioning skills around decision-making and judgment, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of substances, thus increasing their likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors. FYSB’s new infographic, Substance Use and Sexual Risk-Taking: Connecting the Dots for Adolescent Health Professionals, provides insights into…
Part 2 of Beyond Curriculum Training focuses on increasing engagement during content delivery through skills and strategies to foster interactive communication for comprehensive learning.
This session was part of the FYSB SRAE Virtual Topical Training presented by Public Strategies on September 15-17, 2020.
This webinar focused on methods and tools to develop a brand identity that helps support Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grantees in addressing misinformation. Specific topics covered include: the relevance of a brand in promoting an accurate view of program content and goals; and the components of brand identity and methods to develop, implement, and share a program’s brand…
Part 1 of Beyond Curriculum Trainings provides facilitators with relevant information and activities to create an engaging learning environment and incoporates skills-based learning with an emphasis on providing a positive learning environment in the classroom.
This session was part of the FYSB SRAE Virtual Topical Training presented by Public Strategies on September 15-17, 2020.
Parents and other caregivers play critical roles in supporting teens’ mental health. This tip sheet provides recommendations for parents and caregivers on addressing youth mental health and tips for helping youth become resilient and thrive. It identifies warning signs that a teen might be experiencing challenges with mental health, provides tips on starting and conducting conversations with…