TPP Charter School Case Study
Organization: University of Utah-Adolescent Services, Salt Lake City, UT
URL: http://healthcare.utah.edu/pediatrics/services/general/teen-health.php
Program Name: South Main Clinic – PREP class at Mental Health Center-Kairos Academy in Teen Health and Wellness course
Funding: PREP
Curricula used: Love Notes
Curricula benefits:
- Love Notes works well as a supplement to the required PREP materials.
- Activities allow for easy adaptations to engage youth.
- Student journals provide opportunities for goal setting writing.
- PPT graphics and pictures are easily modified to tailor for the audience.
- Love Notes is flexible when students become highly engaged in a specific topic
Target Audience: The target audience 14-19 year old females.
Audience Demographics: Gender: Pregnant and parenting teen girls
Primary Ethnicity: Mix of ethnicity with more Hispanic (because of area) than Caucasian.
Class size: Ten to twelve students
Location of Instruction: Love Notes is offered the Charter High School, Kairos Academy, in the Teen Health and Wellness course.
Length of Instruction: Love Notes is offered in one-hour sessions, twice a week for eight weeks.
Utilization of teacher and student materials: South Main Clinic has one facilitator teaching at this time. She occasionally gets nursing students or volunteers to co- facilitate.They are given upcoming lesson to read and prepare.
At the charter school “the self tree activity” becomes a 3-D group project.
Each student makes his/her own tree and then adds to a collaborative class tree.
This is very powerful… they self-identify and identify with each other.
Mandatory for teen moms to get high school credit – Teen Health and Wellness Course.
Outcomes: Outcomes over the 3 years of using Love Notes were gathered from pre/post tests.These tests demonstrate an improvement in:
- communication and conflict resolution skills
- ability to identify healthy and safe relationships
- implementing effective goal setting skills for education and relationships
- ability to participate in sharing what they’ve learned
Challenges: Classroom management and keeping class participation is a challenge. By implementing incentives in the sessions there is better participation.
Tips:
- Getting to know your community, the administration and staff of a facility is needed for success in program and support. They are an asset to you, the youth and the program.
- Make sure you have co-facilitator for better class management.
- Suggestions for co-facilitators include involving local colleges, community centers and interns.
- Incentives are an effective method for participation in sessions and to encourage worksheets and journal exercises to be completed.
- Youth can earn monopoly money.
- This can be cashed in every couple of weeks for items like: candy, ramen noodles, makeup, and sticky notes.
- The incentives were paid for via the grant.
- Watch Up Your Game! Strengthen Your PREP Adult Preparation Topics Using Proven, Adaptable Materials (Free Webinar)