The Districts pregnancy prevention campaign consists of the following programs:
Be On The Safe Side Outreach Campaign
IMA invested more than $4 million in an outreach campaign designed to expose young people to messages that support abstinence and the practice of safe sex. For the past five years, the Be On The Safe Side campaign has been implemented by MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment) Productions Inc. (MEE)/Excel Educational Enterprises (EEE), an award-winning producer of behavior change campaigns. This multifaceted outreach campaign used social marketing as a tool to effectively reach youth, parents/caregivers and service providers in DC. It included radio commercials, print materials, a customized Website, and a toll-free hotline. During the campaign, over 900 youth were oriented, and nearly 400 youth were trained to actively participate in peer-to-peer education and community outreach efforts across the city.
MEE/EEE produced several multimedia products that promote positive messages about abstinence, virginity and safe sex and create a healthy dialogue between adolescents and their parents. The Audio CDs, Cause 'N Effect Volumes 1 and 2, feature the voices of DC youth ages 12-17 sharing messages that appeal to young people through hip-hop music, poetry, personal testimonies, skits and street interviews. MEE produced two age-appropriate videos, "Much Respect for DC Youth" that appeal to youth through real-life scenarios. They were used in conjunction with discussion guides developed for parents or other adult facilitators. Additionally, more than 250 community-based organizations joined as partners to the Be On The Safe Side campaign, distributing materials and sharing messages with young people they serve. The youth-developed messages at the heart of the Be On The Safe Side campaign are based on input by teen for teens. This multi-year, multimedia project generated over 6 million resident impressions before ending in September 2007.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants
Many teen pregnancy prevention efforts target teens of high school age. Research indicates that interventions to prevent teen pregnancy should begin earlier. Therefore, IMA awarded five Teen Pregnancy Prevention grants to target children ages 11-14. Grantees represent a diverse set of organizations including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the National Capital Area, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Covenant House of Washington, Latin American Youth Center, and Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care.
Services are provided throughout the year including in-school, after school and summer programs. Participants are provided peer-to-peer mentoring, education that promotes responsible behavior and provides information about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, abstinence education, and education on teen sexuality and interpersonal relationships. Youth participate in structured workshops on conflict resolution, health education, and community service activities. All programs also actively engage parents in their services. In FY 2007, these grantees served nearly 1,800 DC school aged children.
DCPS TANF Office/ New Heights Program
In partnership with the DC Public Schools, IMA funds the DCPS TANF Office - New Heights program. The program provides daycare for all teen parents, transportation stipends to TANF recipients under the age of 20 and in-school services to teen parents. The goal of New Heights is to help participants finish their education, increase their skills, and prepare to enter the workforce. New Heights offers reality-based training that allows participants to develop personally and improve academic and parenting skills. It also offers GED preparation services, a mentoring program, a summer teen enrichment program (STEP), and job placement services. Every spring New Heights hosts an Expo to advertise its services and every autumn it hosts a recognition ceremony for all teen parents who have completed high school or their GED. The New Heights program also developed a clothing store for working youth called the "New Image." The store provides clothing to program participants pursuing employment or involved in activities that expose them to employment opportunities. In FY 2006, the program served more than 550 teen parents in the District and conducted outreach to all DCPS secondary schools, to teen parents in their homes, and community based organizations who serve teen parents in the District of Columbia.
Teen Family Assessment Program
Operated by the Family Service Administration, the Teen Family Assessment program provides services to teens that are not living with their parents or guardians. FSA also conducts "Reality Store" workshops. Reality Store workshops help teens understand the choices they must make in developing a budget and managing a household based on reality-based role-playing. This program received an award from the Schools to Careers Youth Investment Program as an exemplary model of an employer and education partnership.
