A Peer Education Approach to Sexuality Education in Schools Melissa Blake Melissa Reagan Princeton Center for Leadership Training AAHE-AAHPERD National Conference Saturday, April 27, 2013

 Has served hundreds of schools since 1988 and our work touches tens of thousands of students, educators, and parents annually  Highly committed to implementing effective programs in partnership with communities that have large numbers of economically disadvantaged youth  Has the capacity to implement replicable and sustainable initiatives in multiple school settings at one time by: Developing supportive stakeholder groups and networks Training effectively, comprehensively, and efficiently Distributing innovative, easy-to-use, proven curriculum Providing individualized technical assistance

 Benefits of Peer Education  Considerations for Launching a Successful Peer Education Program  Lessons Learned from Teen PEP  Teen PEP: A Video Presentation  Reflections

In your opinion, what is the most pressing sexual health issue facing youth in your community? What contributes to this?

In what ways can peers play a role in helping to address some of the most pressing sexual health concerns that we just identified?

 Can have a positive impact on health outcomes for peer educators and the recipients of the peer education  Provides youth with an opportunity to be involved in a leadership role in their schools and communities  Peer educators may be more credible than adults  Peer educators can help shift social and group norms toward health promoting behavior  Learning and attitudes are reinforced on an on-going, informal basis  Cost-effective; Increases the number of youth that can be reached

The Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP) is a comprehensive, sexual health program that utilizes peer education to increase students´ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors associated with healthy decision- making.

Classrooms 20–25 Peer Educators Enroll in Teen PEP Course & Conduct Workshops 2 Advisors Serve on the Stakeholder Team & Team-Teach Teen PEP Course Schools Community Parents Administrators Guidance Counselors Student Representative Scheduler Community Representative Parent Representative Health Teacher Stakeholder Team Meets Regularly Teen PEP Structure Stakeholder Coordinator

Teen PEP: A Video Presentation

Lessons Learned from Teen PEP  Obtaining support and buy-in from stakeholders prior to program implementation is essential  The level of preparation and enthusiasm of the peer educators influences how the workshop participants perceive the credibility of the workshop messages  It is essential to model the training methods we want program advisors to use to effectively prepare peer educators to conduct the workshops  Providing program advisors with practice time during the training is critical  Program advisors benefit from on-going coaching and technical assistance  Creative invitation strategies and incentives are necessary to obtain parental involvement

Launching a Peer Education Program

Create a Stakeholder Team  Actively recruit stakeholders from diverse sectors of school and community  Involve stakeholders throughout planning and implementation process  Build in time for interaction and group development during stakeholder team meetings

Ensure Program Advisors are Well-Trained to…  Understand the program’s goals, theory, and program model.  Begin with the end in mind. Planning is essential!  Leave their “baggage” behind, particularly in regard to teen sexuality, abstinence, gender and sexual orientation, and birth control.  Be youth-centered: guide from the side, yet allow the youth to lead.

Provide Program Advisors with Ongoing Support  Remember that Stakeholder Team? This is where their continued involvement comes in.  Schedule training throughout the program, rather than just at the beginning.  Seek out and embrace opportunities to collaborate with other groups and events.

Ensure Peer Educators are Well- Trained to…  Provide factual, medically accurate information rather than personal opinion  Actively role-model healthy behaviors and serve as a positive example to students they serve  Find common ground and communicate effectively with diverse group and community members

Ensure Program Has Clear Purpose & Goals  Program should be targeting sexual health issues that are relevant for the community.  Program advisors and peer educators should be aware of the “big picture” of what their efforts are intended to impact.  Goals and objectives should drive the advisors’ and peer educators’ work.

Involve Parents  Sexuality education begins at home, whether intentionally or not.  Research shows that majority of both teens and parents/caregivers WANT TO communicate about sex, but don’t know how—your program can help.  Parents and other trusted adults can help reinforce healthy behaviors and remove barriers that keep teens from accessing healthcare.

Carefully Plan and Consider Logistics and Scheduling  School-based peer education programs involve many components working together, so advance planning will be essential.  Consider who will fill each of the roles, when and where the training and the program activities will occur, and how credit, incentives, and other compensation will fit in.

Utilize a Structured & Interactive Curriculum  Curriculum should be user-friendly and accessible to advisors with different levels of expertise in health issues.  Medical accuracy is a must! Curriculum should be reviewed and kept up-to-date with emerging technologies.  Peer educators should be able to interact with their participants to help them engage with the health content in meaningful ways.

Ensure Adequate Resources are Available  Find a funding source that will cover your costs for training, program materials, and incentives for youth participation.  Stakeholders can be strategically recruited or encouraged to lend their resources and/or expertise in particular areas.  Plan and communicate well in advance to secure space, food, transportation, copies, and other program essentials.

Obtain Ongoing Feedback & Evaluate Your Program  Evaluation can take many forms and serve many purposes.  Collect data before, during, and after the process; analyze and share your data to increase your program’s buy-in and sustainability.  Involve youth in evaluation efforts; their perspectives are important and their learning will be enhanced.

Reflections  What is something you’ve heard or thought about today that will stay with you?

Questions? Melissa Blake (609) x 136 Melissa Reagan (609) x 137

Thank you!