Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Rural Education and Development for Youth (READY+) - Project Need: Many of the most effective sexual health programs and services have not been adequately expanded to rural areas of the country, where significant disparities in adolescent birth rates and sexually transmitted infection rates remain. Targeted strategies to increase access to sexual health education and services in rural communities are crucial to advancing health equity. Adolescents living in the predominantly Latino communities of rural Fresno County, California face considerable health disparities due to multiple social and structural factors, including high rates of poverty, geographic isolation, few educational and employment opportunities, language barriers, and limited local services. This project aims to address these needs by replicating evidence-based programs (EBPs), engaging adolescents and community stakeholders, and building a network of support. Proposed Project: The READY+ project builds on the successes and lessons learned of a TPP20 Tier 1 grant by continuing core partnerships, extending the reach of programs to new communities and settings, and expanding knowledge with additional EBPs that promote mental health, positive youth development, and family communication. Specifically, we will implement EBPs that address sexual risk behaviors to adolescents in schools, juvenile justice facilities, and community-based settings. We will provide complementary EBPs to adolescents that address mental health and positive youth development and to parents/caregivers that address family relationships. We will provide a supplementary curriculum to older adolescents that reinforces content on sexual health, mental health, and preparation for adulthood. Throughout the project, we will convene a Youth Advisory Council and a Community Advisory Board to provide feedback, advice, and suggestions on the design and scope of activities. This multipronged approach aims to stimulate sustainable and innovative change in rural Fresno County and, if successful, provide a model for other rural communities. Monitoring and Improvement: The project includes a monitoring and improvement plan to fulfill federal reporting requirements and support ongoing program improvement. We will monitor implementation successes and challenges by collecting measures of program reach, dosage, fidelity and quality, participant feedback, and partnerships. We build upon established data collection systems that include participant attendance data, fidelity checklists, observations, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. We will review results regularly with community stakeholders and incorporate changes through a process of continuous quality improvement. Organizational Capacity: The READY+ project brings together the programmatic expertise of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission and the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools with the administrative and evaluation expertise of the University of California, San Francisco. Together, we bring years of experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs for youth, with an emphasis on underserved populations in Fresno County. We build on our extensive local partnerships to develop a network of adolescent-friendly supportive services. Throughout and beyond this project, we are committed to engaging youth, parents/caregivers, and the community to ensure its relevance and likelihood of success. Estimated Number Served: ~2770 youth and 60-80 parents/caregivers, annually
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).