The following are some of the community initiatives that help Rochester youth reach their full potential and that prevent teen pregnancy:
City Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (known as “RISE”) is led by City of Rochester Bureau of Youth Services. The collaborative delivers evidence-based sexuality curriculum in high schools and community settings. SOAR Youth Leaders serve as peer educators, host youth events, create radio and video PSAs and work with other youth leadership groups. Member agencies include SPCC and the YWCA. NYS Dept. of Health provides the funding. Email rise@cityofrochester.gov.
In-Control is a youth development and teen pregnancy prevention program, led by Planned Parenthood of Central and Western NY, with the support of Baden Street Settlement and MCTP, and funded by NYS Dept. of Health as part of the Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program. In-Control components include evidence-based sexuality education; youth-led music, drama and video production; recreation; peer leadership and parent programs. Contact: Stacey Richards at stacey.richards@ppcwny.org
URMC/Stay True 2 U is the lead agency for the Rochester LARC Initiative, which informs Rochester youth about the availability and benefits of long-acting and reversible contraception. Partners, including MCTP, deliver evidence-based education both to youth and to adults who talk to youth in healthcare and community-based settings. Causewave leads a parallel effort to educate youth and parents about LARC via social media. The campaign is known as Stay True 2 U, and includes radio ads, billboards, news media coverage, posters, a dedicated website and branded merchandise giveaways. Learn more about Stay True 2 U at https://www.staytrue2u.org/
Youth Voice One Vision, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, is coordinated by the City of Rochester’s Department of Recreation and Human Services. YVOV is dedicated to connecting, training, and advising Rochester’s youth leaders, city governance, adult advisors and community stakeholders. YVOV members provide expertise, and help inform and impact policies related to youth issues. The program creates opportunities that inspire positive change and unite our community. Contact Tremain Harris tremain.harris@cityofrochester.gov; 585-428-6360.
Providing Real Opportunities With Dedication: PROWD is an educational program led by Action for a Better Community. The program engages youth, ages 10 to 13, in after school programming and supports youth to avoid sexually risky behaviors. The program teaches life skills, to both youth and caregivers, reduces risky behaviors, and provides youth opportunities in the arts. For more information, contact Victor Norflee, vnorflee@abcinfo.org.
SRAE Clubs: The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Clubs (SRAE) is a youth development program led by City of Rochester to benefit Rochester youth, ages 10-13. The goal of the SRAE initiative is to support the social and emotional development of youth and to delay onset of sexual activity. The program provides medically accurate and age-appropriate curriculum, positive relationship with caring adults, and exploratory weekly club called Vibes. Facilitators engage youth participants in fun activities such as dance, cooking and nutrition, science exploration, and creative arts. All SRAE youth take part in “Making a Difference”, a curriculum that empowers young adolescents to change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk of pregnancy and HIV/STD infection. Youth participants are supported to learn life skills including goal setting and decision making, to develop healthy relationships, to gain a sense of purpose and to delay sexual activity. For more information, contact Jennifer Quick at jquick@badenstreet.org
Health Education in Rochester City School District
Most schools in NYS, including schools in Rochester, provide a half-credit health class in middle school and a half-credit health class in high school; topics include sexuality/family life. The Rochester City School District uses the Making a Difference curriculum in middle school and Reducing the Risk curriculum in high school. RCSD also developed a sexuality curriculum for 4th, 5th and 6th grades, called WISE. RCSD routinely invites health educators from the programs listed above to present evidence-based and multi-session sexuality curricula to their students.
Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring) is an evidence-based youth development intervention designed to reduce risk behaviors among adolescents. The curriculum is presented in 12 lessons.
Project AIM takes a holistic approach that helps youth explore their future adult identities. The curriculum teaches youth the skills to support them in conceptualizing, planning for, and achieving their future dreams. Facilitators create a safe learning environment where sixth grade students have the opportunity to engage in constructive conversations that will allow them to:
- Increase their knowledge about setting goals and attainable careers.
- Believe in the value of self- esteem and creating a legacy.
- Have confidence in their ability to follow their dreams and utilize their community as resources.
- Use self-awareness to negotiate uncomfortable situations with friends/ mates.
- Intend to abstain from sexual behaviors.
- Reduce sexual risk behaviors.
- Take pride in and responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities.
- Consider their future selves and how certain behaviors may impact their goals.
The Rochester Peace Collective is a collaborative effort that guides investments from local funding organizations into innovative and proven programs that work to prevent violent crimes. The Peace Collective aligns closely with the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Recreation and Human Services, and the Rochester Public Library to advance violence prevention by collaborating with community-based organizations. MCTP is a proud partner of this effort and has a staff member working with young men at Edison Tech to implement the Violence Intervention Project . We expect that the Violence Intervention Project will lead to an improved school climate as forty young men establish mentoring relationships with adults, improve their relationships with peers and commit to more responsible behaviors.
Request MCTP Workshops
In 2022, MCTP engaged 1,380 youth and adults in programming. Our multi-session workshops are interactive, relevant, and proven to be effective. There is no charge for our services. The following is a sample of what we offer:
Making A Difference is a Department of Health, age-appropriate (youth ages 10-13), life skills curriculum that MCTP offers in the after-school setting. Curriculum topics include: dreams for the future, abstinence, HIV awareness, decision and goal setting skills, and age-appropriate information on anatomy and reproduction. The workshops are delivered in 8 sessions of fifty minutes each.
Caring conversations is a two-part virtual offering for parents, guardians and caregivers (1 hour/session) that will provide attendees with practical suggestions on how to communicate about puberty, sex, sexuality, healthy relationships and how to be the askable adult in the lives of youth. Discussions will focus on how adults can effectively communicate, answer questions, and cover what children need to know at what age.
Project AIM: designed for groups of youth, about age 11. Project AIM is a social and emotional learning curriculum. In 12 workshops (50 minutes each), young people reflect on their assets, examine their relationships and plan their futures. The workshops ask youth to explore their own goals and strengths, and to identify possible careers and potential obstacles. Each youth completes a portfolio as they visualize their potential for success.
Making Proud Choices and Be Proud Be Responsible: designed for groups of youth, ages about 12 to 17. The interactive workshops help youth to identify their own goals, and to improve their communication skills and self-awareness. The workshops provide information about condom use and effective contraception, health resources and healthy behaviors so that young people can protect themselves and avoid STIs, HIV and unplanned pregnancies. The workshops are delivered in seven or eight sessions of fifty minutes each.
For more information, contact Jennifer Quick at jquick@badenstreet.org.