PRO Youth and Families, Inc. TPP 2024 Project - Project Abstract Summary PRO Youth & Families’ (PRO) TPP 2023 Project (Project) brings together a collaborative network of organizations to equitably expand the implementation of evidence-based programs (EBPs) to communities experiencing the greatest health disparities and youth populations most at-risk for sexual risk behaviors including foster youth, justice-impacted, and gang affiliated youth in the Greater Sacramento Region. The goal of our Project is to advance adolescent health by engaging youth in EBPs that have demonstrated impact on decreasing sexual risk behaviors, increase social-emotional skills, and support the development of protective factors. The project will empower youth as change agents to promote wellness for themselves, peers, families, and community. The need to address equity in sexual and reproductive health in the Sacramento region is prevalent. Certain communities and populations experience disproportionate rates of teen pregnancy and as a whole, the region has disproportionate rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). The Project has been designed based on PRO’s experience implementing TPP Programming in our region among at-risk populations, decades of experience and youth development, and a successful track record in implementation of large-scale projects in collaboration with cross-sector partnership. Our Project promotes equity by working at both systems- and grassroots-levels to engage youth most at-risk. PRO will implement EBPs through direct service and in partnership with Community-Based Organizations that have deeply imbedded in communities where youth experience higher rates of teen pregnancy and the most risk factors for sexual risk behaviors. Youth will be engaged in five implementation settings: 1) In-school, 2) after-school, 3) residential care, 4) juvenile detention centers, and 5) community-based settings. The project will integrate service-learning projects and other youth engagement strategies to engage youth voice and action in Project design, implementation, and monitoring. We have actively engaged this strategy for three years and have seen promising results in equipping trusted leaders and youth with fact-based knowledge to navigate adolescent health needs in responsive ways to overcome stigma and cultural barriers in their neighborhoods. The Project will also seek to engage caregivers, trusted adults, and the greater community in promoting positive youth development and sexual and reproductive health. In addition, the Project will develop a network of Adolescent Support Partners including health clinics and other community-based services to increase awareness of, connection to, and utilization of youth-friendly support services and engage youth and stakeholders in advocating for youth-friendly support services.
