REAL: Relationships, Education and Life - CAPSLO’s Teen Wellness (TW) proposes REAL: Relationships, Education, and Life (REAL), a three year PREP project to prevent adolescent pregnancy, reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV, and support successful transitions to adulthood for the highest risk youth in California’s San Luis Obispo (SLO) and Northern Santa Barbara (NSB) counties. In this part semi rural, part urban region, high living costs, low wage agricultural and service jobs, and limited affordable housing have produced deep pockets of poverty and housing instability. At target schools, 64-100% of students qualify for free/reduced price meals, and homelessness reaches 40% in some non traditional schools, which report substantially higher substance use than statewide averages, leading to possible risk-taking. SB County’s adolescent birth rate (17.7 per 1,000) is more than double the state rate. Both counties show worsening rankings for gonorrhea and syphilis, with highest burdens among young women and Hispanic youth. These factors threaten long term educational and economic outcomes. REAL will target PREP priority populations: youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability, foster and court involved youth, pregnant/parenting youth, and youth residing in areas with high teen birth rates. Over three years, REAL will reach approximately 504-630 unduplicated adolescents (168-210 annually) ages 14-19, including pregnant/parenting youth up to age 21, through six traditional and five non traditional high schools, and two community-based programs serving high-risk youth in SLO and NSB counties. REAL’s goal is to prevent adolescent pregnancy and STIs/HIV and promote self sufficiency and healthy transitions to adulthood. The project integrates three core components: 1) Delivering Love Notes 4.1, an HHS recognized evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum to approximately 21 cohorts per year (8 60 minute sessions, 8-10 youth each), with substantial emphasis on abstinence/delayed sexual initiation (60%) and contraception (40%). Love Notes also integrates five Adulthood Preparation Subjects, in which TW will integrate body literacy content and human trafficking prevention education. 2) Providing individual wellness coaching for youth by TW’s certified Health & Wellness Coaches to an estimated 15% of Love Notes participants (25-32 annually). Coaching will help youth apply curriculum content to their own lives; clarify relationship boundaries; set educational, career, and life goals; build self regulation and stress management skills; and connect with needed youth friendly health and community service referrals. 3) Providing eight parent/caregiver workshops per year (10-20 adults each; 240-480 adults over three years) will familiarize them with REAL content and adolescent development, offer practical tools to talk about relationships and reproductive health, and increase awareness of local resources. By strengthening parent-youth communication and support, this component reinforces REAL’s messages and increases protective factors against teen pregnancy and risk behaviors. All activities will be delivered by highly experienced, certified sexual health educators and coaches, implementing trauma-informed practices, and utilizing the Positive Youth Development “5Cs” (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) to strengthen resilience and long term well being. Through REAL, youth will build concrete skills and knowledge to avoid early pregnancy and STIs and pursue a healthy, self sufficient transition to adulthood.
