"This Program Rocks!"
"I wish everyone could be educated this way- about the pressures of being a teenager" |
Evaluation:
The Impact of our Programs
The Center for Youth is strongly committed to evaluating its programs and trainings to determine their effectiveness in improving the health and lives of young people.
Our track record includes:
Publication
The Center's first evaluation of the Life Skills Program (LSP) was published in the April 2003 edition of AIDS Education and Prevention: An Interdisciplinary Journal. The research was conducted in San Francisco by the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of California--San Francisco (UCSF). It demonstrated the LSP significantly impacted youth participants in the following ways:
- Increasing key risk reduction skills
- Enhancing altruism - in giving back to their community
Evaluation in San Mateo County
Our Life Skills Program was evaluated in San Mateo County over the past 9 years. Results consistently determined the LSP was successful in achieving the following among youth participants:
- Increased access to health care and counseling services
- Increased exercise and physical activities
- Increased understanding and respect for differences
- Increased skills to avoid and resolve conflicts
- Decreased sexual activity
- Increased use of condoms (among sexually active youth)
- Decreased alcohol and drug use
Our Voice Program was evaluated in San Mateo County over the past 7 years and consistently shown to be effective in impacting behavior among youth participants, including:
- increased understanding and respect for differences
- increased communication skills to form healthy relationships
- increased skills to avoid and resolve conflicts
- increased access to counseling services
- decreased drug and alcohol use
Interviews
Personal interviews conducted with Peer Educators demonstrated CFY's program provided them with the self-confidence and skills to:
- Communicate more effectively with peers and partners
- Continue to share this health information with others
- Personally make positive health behavior changes
Quotes from Peer Educators
- "I have that self-esteem now and I feel so comfortable. I can use this experience in so many ways. It makes it easier to talk to peers, and
I will be able to teach other teenagers"
- "I stopped drinking. When we talked about it in the training, I thought 'well good thing', because when you're drunk, you can have sex with someone you don't want to…or you could just have sex period. It's not worth it."
- "Communication is very important. In the training, you guys taught us this is a normal part of lifeit has helped my self-esteem and my knowledge…so I feel really comfortable talking about these things."
- "This program has really helped me to get my stuff together. And it has taught me many important things. I have quit drinking and smoking, and I am more careful when being physically involved with someone."
- "You guys weren't going to give up, so I kept coming. You guys gave us the true facts, you gave us the time, and all eyes were on us."
- "I learned that, although a teenager myself, I can make a difference, even if I only impact a few individuals in my community. I also learned that a person can face her own fears and come out victorious, just as I have done."
- "This training really influenced me to do so many positive things - and I wasn't a very positive person. Now I'm going to tell others all about it".
Praise from Parents and Teachers
- "Your Peer Educator training is instilling pride and altruism in our students."
- "You're doing a great job for teens and parents."
- "It is awesome to envision the ripple effects of your training."
- "Your program has had a significant impact on the health behaviors and self-esteem of our students."
- "We are excited to have the Life Skills Program reach many more students."
Support from School Superintendent & Principals
- "Having worked closely with your organization, I have seen firsthand the profound impact your programs have had on a wide range of students, including our most vulnerable youth. Your programs and Peer Educator trainings have greatly improved health behaviors, self-confidence, leadership skills, and provided many youth with career goals they never had before this opportunity."
- "We are confident The Center for Youth is the best organization to provide this vital health education and mentoring for our students and that you and your staff have a keen understanding of youth development and adolescent health issues. I know that many more young people in our district will be positively impacted by your programs."
- "I want to lend my enthusiastic support for continuing and expanding your Life Skills Program in our High School DistrictIt is clear that your program provides youth with interactive and realistic education that greatly enhances their self-esteem, motivation and ability to provide health education and service to other students and to their peers in the community."
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