The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a resource guide entitled, Keeping Youth Drug Free. This important guide was primarily written for parents and youth care providers. In addition to underscoring the long-term effects of early alcohol and illicit drug use, the document also offers tips for preventing substance use disorders among…
Healthy parent–teen communication and a close connection between teens and their parents, guardians, and other caregivers promote abstinence, contraceptive use, condom use, and other behaviors to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This tip sheet will help grantees and other youth-serving providers understand the impact of parenting styles on the development and behavior…
Teaching adolescents how to form safe and healthy relationships is a key part of helping them refrain from engaging in risk-taking behaviors as well as improving their reproductive health outcomes and emotional and social wellbeing. Designed to supplement your organization’s programming with middle and high school youth, this engaging lesson will provide youth with information and skills to…
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…
Self-regulation is foundational for positive health and functioning across the lifespan, including physical health, mental and emotional health, social relationships, academic achievement, and socio-economic success. It also can be learned over time, making it a powerful focus for intervention. By promoting self-regulation as a key component of health education, educators can help youth achieve…
This webinar, for Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grantees, focused on how grantees can develop a comprehensive social media strategy to engage youth and parents. Presenters cover how to develop social media content, identify tools and strategies for managing social media accounts, engage youth in the content planning process, and use paid media to boost engagement and expand…
This webinar will provide grantees with an understanding of the guiding principles for Continuous Quality Improvement, followed by grantee panelists who will share how their organizations have effectively utilized CQI in improving:
Program design and implementation
Program recruitment strategies
Program retention
This webinar focuses on a framework for developing successful youth-adult allyships to support youth engagement in PREP programming and to address Adulthood Preparation Subjects such as Healthy Life Skills and Adolescent Development. It includes ways grantees can implement and adapt these strategies in a virtual climate. Engaging youth collaboratively in program planning and delivery might be a…
This guide outlines how to implement high-quality virtual prevention programming. Tips range from considerations for virtual platforms and curriculum adaptations to how to implement a continuous quality improvement process. This guide is relevant for grantees who are beginners or experts at virtual program implementation.
These FAQs address specific questions about flexibilities in programming, data collection, and the use of federally awarded funds in light of the current COVID-19 situation in alignment with OMB and ACF guidance.
Presentation Date: 6/22/2021
This webinar addresses positive youth development and how an intentional, community-wide approach to organizing services to engage and support youth will help them reach their full potential. The webinar begins with a 35-minute overview of the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Model followed by two guest grantees discussing:
Best practices for facilitation and engagement that supports PYD…
This tip sheet elaborates on the challenges and barriers to providing abstinence and contraceptive education to youth with disabilities and debunks long-held myths about sexuality among people with disabilities. It covers the implications for providing education to youth with specific types of disabilities along with recommended educational strategies to meet youth’s needs.
This parent-focused infographic will help parents and caregivers start conversations with their teens about relationships and sex. It is designed to dispel common myths and increase parents' level of comfort with these types of conversations. The infographic covers how to prepare, how to communicate, what to say, and when to have these conversations.
The Personal Responsibility: Healthy Decision-Making and Focus on the Future webinar examines the foundational components of personal responsibility, healthy decision-making, self-regulation, goal setting, and the impact on healthy relationship formation and future outcomes for youth. The webinar will include findings from Sexual Risk Avoidance Education research, including the Sexual Risk…
The book Contagious by Jonah Berger “reveals the science behind why products, services, and ideas become popular.” Using the STEPPS framework (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories), grantees discovered why certain stories, brands, and content goes viral, and how they can apply these concepts to increase awareness of their programs. This…
This webinar took place on April 8, 2021, and shows how to effectively incorporate a trauma-informed approach into virtual program implementation. Presenters share strategies and recommendations for facilitators to ensure that they are implementing their projects from a trauma-informed perspective, along with examples of policies and procedures that can support trauma-informed program…
Visit the NTPP Month Digital Media Toolkit for information and tools you can use to help spread the word about teen pregnancy prevention.
Vernae Martin, Program Manager with FYSB and Kendy Cox, Vice President with Public Strategies, share closing remarks for the February 2021 Topical Training.
This session offers the opportunity to better understand the concept and value of social capital, as supported by research. It also provides grantees the language to help identify ways to build the social capital of the youth they serve to help them thrive.
In the Field Talk session, grantees discuss the social networks that could be used to build social capital for youth, and practice…
This 90-minute webinar showcased research findings focused on expanding the evidence on Sexual Risk Avoidance and Sexual Risk Cessation. Presenters discussed studies that:
Identified risk and protective factors for Sexual Risk Avoidance and Sexual Risk Cessation;
Informed the development of a program model to empower youth to cease sexual activity; and
Analyzed the economic benefits of…
This session explores the communication dynamics needed to answer student questions effectively. It expands an understanding of the whole person when relating to youth while developing the practical skills of building positive student and teacher relationships.
In this Field Talk session, grantees discuss how to identify the core of the student’s question and apply Aristotle’s Theory of…
This session examines the unprecedented changes being experienced by today’s adolescents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also discusses the potential risk factors requiring increased vigilance by parents, teachers, and youth workers.
This session discusses how increasing social and emotional competencies can improve positive outcomes for youth and how program providers can incorporate social and emotional learning strategies into their programs as part of SRAE’s holistic approach.
In this Field Talk session, grantees share the most significant takeaways from the Topical Training day and how to apply new concepts and…
This session shares practical experiences and strategies from current SRAE grantees for implementing required A-F topics for SRAE. Seasoned panelists share processes that can be replicated to enhance opportunities for all youth to thrive.
In the Field Talk session, grantees share social media strategies they may use to reach youth. They also share innovative approaches for the implementation of…
This session provides an up-to-date overview of the current STI trends among youth and the serious implications of this epidemic on the physical and emotional well-being of adolescents.
On Tuesday, September 28th, Hannah Lantos and Jenita Parekh, researchers from Child Trends, presented a Ted Talk on how PREP grantees can support youth and their families experiencing poverty. The causes of poverty are many, and the way youth experience poverty in the United States varies across race and ethnicity. Audiences were presented with data on child poverty rates and anti-poverty…
This infographic provides tips for creating abstracts for a variety of types of papers and presentations, ranging from rigorous research and evaluation studies to presentations describing the innovative features of your program. Learn how to develop your abstract, section by section.
This topical training will feature two tracks—one for program administrators and one for program facilitators. It will present strategies on how to use the current environment as an opportunity to adapt and tailor programs to best fit participants’ needs. Sessions will explore how to engage youth who are disengaged, how to engage partners, and how to support staff and others during challenging…
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-24, and almost 20% of high school students have reported thinking about suicide. In 2021, almost 60% of female students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year and nearly 25% made a suicide plan.
Youth who have experienced trauma, cyberbullying, and who struggle with…
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…
On March 23, 2023, SRAE grantees had an opportunity to learn how teen dating violence (TDV) affects the physical, mental, and sexual health of youth and how it impedes their overall well-being. This session introduced foundational knowledge and concepts around language, prevalence, and complex dynamics of TDV. The presenters expanded the session to include the impact of the digital world (e.g.,…
This interactive webinar focuses on what program fidelity and adaptation means in an ever changing educational landscape. Participants receive background information on fidelity and adaptations and why it is important to remain flexible while still following certain fidelity guidelines. Participants learn more about core components, core implementation, and core pedagogy and how to preserve those…
This session discusses the facilitator’s need to have a clear understanding of SRAE’s required topics in the context of the Optimal Health Model, along with the needed passion and dedication to meet youth where they are through the practical skills of building positive student and teacher relationships, drawing professional boundaries and developing confidence in unique presentation styles.…
This interactive webinar offered an opportunity for Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grantees to learn more about teaching program participants with intellectual or development disabilities (I/DDs). Sexual and reproductive health is an important aspect of human development, but discussions with adolescents with I/DD on this topic are often challenging for youth service providers…
This social media toolkit provides tips and strategies for adolescent pregnancy prevention grantees and their partners to increase the visibility and impact of their efforts. The toolkit has been updated to reflect new trends in social media use among adolescents since 2017. By following the steps outlined in the “roadmap,” you will be able to research, plan, and implement your own social media…
Peer to peer sex trafficking among youth can happen in a variety of situations. These infographics help youth and adults learn about what peer to peer trafficking looks like and what they can do to help stop it. Share these infographics online. You can also print the infographics to display, but make sure to use legal or larger-sized paper so the text is legible. We offer both English…
In this episode, “Sustainability,” Elevate Youth Programming sat down with Drs. Asari Offiong and Mindy Scott from Child Trends to discuss steps program staff can take to plan for sustainability. Although there is no uniform definition of sustainability, discussions of sustainability often focus on the ability to maintain an intervention or its outcomes after some initial period. Defining…
In this episode, “Trauma-informed care: Resilience,” Elevate Youth Programming sat down with Drs. Vicki Johnson-Lawrence and Lissette Saavedra from RTI International to discuss the impact of internal and external factors on trauma-informed approaches and youth resilience. APP programs provide youth with timely, evidenced-based information sexual health education and Adulthood Preparation Subjects…
In this episode, “Addressing Controversy in Communities,” Elevate Youth Programming sat down with Lashantynia Clayton (dhs.ga.gov | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram), Ginger Harris (tn.gov/dcs | Facebook | Twitter), and Zoa P. Schescke (CoSHI) to discuss youth engagement and community misinformation. Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) provides youth with timely, evidenced-based information…