Solutions of Success: Using Mind Matters in Juvenile Justice Interested in working with youth and their families in the juvenile justice system? Join us as Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) shares their experience in collaborating with their Mohave County Juvenile Probation in rural Arizona where services and programming for youth are limited. Using OJJDP Title II funding, AZYP implements Mind Matters to prevent juvenile delinquency, to promote public safety, and to support positive outcomes for youth, families, and the community. AZYP focuses on youth both at-risk for delinquency and already in the correctional system. They implement Mind Matters in youth shelters, at tribal schools, in diversion classes, at a local PRIDE Center, and in weekly classes for youth on probation. They will share how they utilize Mind Matters in a variety settings. They will also cover how to effectively partner with local juvenile justice agencies on grant and community projects. Objectives:…
Violence Prevention
Centering Youth Voice Using Peer Facilitators in Relationship Education to Engage and Empower Youth Join Kelley Luckett and Daiya Thompson of the Louisville YMCA as they discuss lessons learned over the last two years of implementing Love Notes in Teen Vibe Camps using peer facilitators. Teen Vibe Camps, offer a transformative blend of summer camp nostalgia and comprehensive curriculum sessions. Through activities like podcasting, music, and social media graphics, these camps foster a sense of community and belonging. Statistical evidence showcases significant shifts in positive identity markers among attendees who form trusted adult connections and show higher program engagement. Complementing this approach is an innovative Peer Facilitator model, which introduces youth as Love Notes facilitators. Peer facilitators excel in building trust, fostering community, and encouraging participation outscoring adult facilitators in quality observation scores. Through a dual-track system involving collaboration with local high schools and self-selection from camp attendees, peer facilitators…
The Power of Relationship Education from a Policy Perspective Policymakers and policy analysts are increasingly turning to micro-level interventions to address large and widespread social issues. There is a growing recognition that what happens inside a home and family has broader social ramifications, which is turning policy conversations toward approaches that can strengthen couples and families. Relationship Education has proven to be effective for improving outcomes in a variety of settings related to families. Because many of the issues that public policy seeks to address are affected by family instability and parental conflict, Relationship Education can act as a preventative measure that diminishes risk factors that originate in the home. Also, addressing a problem after it has taken hold is often more expensive than stopping it from happening in the present. Join Dr. Jocelyn Wikle to learn how Relationship Education can be beneficial in diminishing serious and costly issues of…
Young People’s Experiences and Thoughts on Relationships Today: A conversation with Marline Pearson Many of us wonder about young people’s current lived experience and aspirations regarding their relationships. For instance: Do adolescents still date? Do they still hope for a long-term committed partner or spouse? How are young people thinking about their intimate relationships? How are they visualizing their current or future families? Join Love Notes author and noted thought leader, Marline Pearson, as she shares her experiences and reflections that come from teaching thousands of young people at Madison College, a two-year technical and community college as well as younger teens through STEM and Gateway programs. She will also share the different messages she gives young people from teens to late twenties about how best to approach relationships during those years. Note: This is a conversational format. Please come prepared with questions to ask Marline. Objectives: Participants will be…
Beginning in the mid-2000s, the federal government authorized funding to support healthy relationship education (HRE) for youth. These programs aim to improve young people’s relationship skills, knowledge, and behaviors and prepare them to build healthy romantic relationships in adulthood. In 2020, the federal government awarded more than $24 million to 25 programs serving high-school-age youth and young adults. In a project supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mathematica has summarized the existing research on the effectiveness of HRE programs for youth. The research team identified and reviewed 15 impact studies of HRE programs for youth and summarized the findings using an evidence and gaps map. Join us as we discuss what we know and what we don’t know about the effectiveness of HRE programs for youth and promising future directions for continuing to build the evidence base for these programs. Objectives: Participants will learn: What an…
Have you ever wondered what difference having an all male or all female* or co-ed group makes for youth outcomes? Well, so did John Lewis of Urban Strategies. John leads the collaborative, FuturoNow, which is delivering Love Notes SRA to approximately 1,300 youth annually targeting nine, majority-Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles County that have teen birth rates far above state and national average. As part of their grant, FuturoNow is conducting a descriptive study to compare differences between implementing Love Notes with all male, all female, and co-ed groups. In this webinar you will learn what they learned about outcomes, outreach, and other key takeaways through surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. *Self-identified Objectives: Participants will learn: How male and female youth experienced Love Notes in gender-based cohorts including what they liked and disliked Two strategies to increase recruitment and retention of male and female youth in by hosting these…
From underperforming schools to unsafe neighborhoods, from institutional racism to other structural barriers, hindrances often stand in the way of financial success for young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. Given these challenges, many young adults lose hope, thinking they have no way of changing their life trajectories. However, there is a path that frequently leads to the “American Dream” and away from poverty. This path is called the “Success Sequence.” The sequence entails three steps: (1) getting at least a high-school degree, (2) working full-time, and (3) marrying before having children. Young adults who manage to follow the sequence – even in the face of challenges – are much more likely to forge a path to a better economic life. Join Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang as they discuss how poverty is basically nonexistent among young adults who followed all three steps according to their new analysis of data from the…
The University of Louisville, Center for Family and Community Wellbeing study found that Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Increasing Resilience significantly reduced Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms and increased trauma coping skills. What makes Mind Matters so effective? In this webinar author Carolyn Curtis reviews the research behind Mind Matters’ effectiveness. She discusses the program’s theory of change as well as the individual lessons that bring results. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Understand what the University of Louisville study results say about the effectiveness of Mind Matters. Explain the theories used in Mind Matters. Describe the research behind the Mind Matters Pinwheel Curls. Presenter: Carolyn Curtis, Ph.D., Author of Mind Matters Who should attend: People who work with youth-in-care, community based organizations who work with youth in challenging circumstances, those who help people heal from trauma, organizations that focus on dating and interpersonal violence, adolescent group facilitators, secondary educators, state and federal…
The prevention educators of Women In Need, Inc., based in north Texas, will share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help high school students choose healthy relationships. They will also share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help middle school students develop healthy social and emotional skills. In addition, participants will hear how Women In Need’s prevention educators utilize Love Notes 3.0 to serve at-risk teens. Finally, participants will be reminded of the significance of ongoing curriculum evaluation and modification. Participants will be encouraged to adopt a process of curriculum evaluation and modification that works best for their organizations and the students they serve. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: The history, mission, and services of Women In Need, Inc. (WIN). WIN’s Teen Dating Violence Prevention curriculum for high school students designed to help them choose healthy relationships. WIN’s prevention education curriculum for middle school students designed to…
Does marriage still perform a valuable role in today’s society? Or, is it just another quaint tradition or something only a privileged few seek and attain? Join Kay Reed, Executive Director of The Dibble Institute, as she shares recent trends in family formation; explores the most recent data on marriage, cohabitation, and single parenting; and brings it back to what matters to children. Explore ways to integrate these skills and concepts about building healthy relationships into your programs, sometimes in unexpected ways. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Describe current marriage trends and adolescents’ views of marriage. Identify current research questions in the field. Communicate why family form matters to adults, youth, and children. Presenters: Kay Reed, President and Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Who should attend: Healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grantees, healthy relationship program staff, child abuse prevention advocates, mental health practitioners, family stabilization coaches, and employability specialists. When: Wednesday,…
September 9, 2020 @ 1:00 pm Pacific Developmentally, one of the ways adolescents explore who they are is through romantic relationships. How adolescents approach these relationships is influenced by the relationships modeled around them. While some youth may have witnessed and learned about positive couple interactions from good models, many may have witnessed only poor models of couple relationships. Educational programs on healthy relationships can help youth develop skills to make smart relationship choices and avoid risky behaviors. Since 2008, the University of Georgia along with Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H Extension agents, in partnership with schools and community agencies across 76 counties, have delivered Relationship Smarts PLUS to nearly 15,000 youth. Overall, participating youth have reported increases in knowledge, confidence that they can use the skills learned, likeliness to use these skills, and positive feelings about themselves. Join Dr. Ted Futris and Cindy Sheram as they share their…
Marline Pearson, author of Love Notes and Relationship Smarts PLUS, will make the case why a 4thR is needed for increasing student success. Learn why relationship education must be a central tool to help young people reach their school, work, and family goals by increasing their agency over their love lives. She will cover recent research and share evidence-based solutions to the pressing problems that face today’s youth. Attendees will: Identify at least 2 key reasons why relationship education is key to helping students succeed. Describe current trends that could be reversed by teaching relationship education. Identify 2 evidence based strategies that could be implemented to help students succeed. Presenter: Marline E. Pearson, M.A., Author, Love Notes and Relationship Smarts PLUS. Resources: February 2019 Webinar PPT
It is commonly said that youth who are exposed to interparental domestic violence are at an increased risk of experiencing dating violence in their romantic relationships. This phenomenon is often referred to as “the cycle of violence” or intergenerational transmission of violence. There is ample evidence supporting “the cycle of violence” hypothesis, yet, most youth exposed to interparental domestic violence do not go on to experience violence in their romantic relationships. How can we explain these seemingly opposing findings? Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: What factors can increase or decrease adolescents’ risk of dating violence. How individuals can help prevent or break the cycle of violence. How to help promote posttraumatic growth and resilience in adolescents’ romantic relationships. Presenter: Megan Haselschwerdt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Child and Family Studies, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Resources: January 2019 Webinar PPT
Years of research show that robust healthy relationship education can pull many levers in a young person’s life. One sphere it can impact is child sexual abuse prevention. Erin’s Law, passed in 35 states, requires that all public schools implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program. The Mary Black Foundation in South Carolina has used Love Notes to help classrooms meet that requirement. Learn from Anita Barbee, Ph.D. from the University of Louisville, the research underpinnings that make Love Notes such an effective sexual abuse prevention intervention. Then hear from Polly Edwards-Padgett how the Mary Black Foundation selected Love Notes, gained access to the schools, their implementation approach, including funding, and how you can explore doing the same in your state. Objectives: Identify how Love Notes helps in the prevention of sexual abuse. Exam Erin’s Law to see how it has expanded the opportunities for Sexual Abuse Prevention education in the classroom….
Relationship education targets common correlates of adolescent dating violence, such as gender role beliefs and dating violence acceptance. However, few studies to date have evaluated the influence of relationship education on these two correlates of adolescent dating violence and none have considered the differential and combined effects of participants’ sociodemographic characteristics. In this webinar we will present a study examining the impact of youth relationship education, specifically the Relationship Smarts PLUS program, on adolescents’ gender role beliefs and dating violence acceptance. Moving beyond the current literature, we will also examine whether and how individuals’ sociodemographic identities, specifically their gender, race, and socioeconomic status, influence change following program participation. Using this information, we will offer suggestions for educators and program developers to further address the needs of youth moving forward Presenter: Rachel Savasuk-Luxton, Ph.D., Research Specialist and Master Trainer, The Dibble Institute. Resources: September 2018 Webinar PPT
For the past five years, programs across the United States have been teaching healthy relationship skills to thousands of young people through Relationship Smarts PLUS 3.0 and Love Notes 2.1. Now, The Dibble Institute is excited to announce that both of these evidence-based programs have been updatedwith brand new information crucial to supporting teens and young adults in today’s world! They respond to changing conversations and conditions spurred on by #metoo, #timesup, smart phones, and social media. Relationship Smarts Plus 4.0 and Love Notes 3.0 both feature brand-new, age-appropriate content on: Sexual consent Online pornography Sexting Sexual assault Drugs and alcohol – and their impact on relationships Cyberbullying Relationship Smarts PLUS 4.0 is ideal for younger teens, and Love Notes 3.0 is ideal for older teens and young adults who are at risk of seeing their personal goals derailed by troubled relationships, unplanned pregnancy, and single parenting. Presenter: Marline E. Pearson. M.A., Author, Love Notes and…
WEBINAR: Working Together: Developing & Implementing a Sustainable Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program
In October 2016, Dr. Michelle Toews and her colleagues at Kansas State University received a grant to develop, implement, and evaluate the #RELATIONSHIPGOALS program, a sexual risk avoidance education intervention with seventh- and ninth-grade students from a local school district. The goal of program is to empower youth to make healthy decisions by teaching them the benefits associated with self-regulation, healthy relationships and goal setting, while also teaching them how to resist sexual coercion, dating violence and other risky behaviors. The curriculum used in the intervention is Relationship Smarts PLUS, Sexual Risk Avoidance Adaptation. Preliminary results suggest the program is reaching its goal. Specifically, students report that they love the program and share that one of the most important things they learn is how to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships. They also say the program teaches them skills they need to develop healthy relationships, particularly effective communication skills, which they…
Many adults—especially parents—often fret about youth and the “hook-up culture.” But research suggests that far fewer young people are “hooking up” than we are commonly led to believe. This focus on the hook-up culture also obscures two much bigger issues that many young people appear to be struggling with: forming and maintaining healthy romantic relationships and dealing with widespread misogyny and sexual harassment. What’s more, it appears that parents and other key adults in young people’s lives often fail to address these two problems. Making Caring Common’s new report, The Talk: How Adults Can Promote Young People’s Healthy Relationships and Prevent Misogyny and Sexual Harassment, explores these issues and offers insights into how adults can begin to have meaningful and constructive conversations about them with the young people in their lives. Making Caring Common (MCC), a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, helps educators, parents, and communities raise children…
Learn from two experienced youth leaders who work with risk immersed youth and young fathers how they successfully implemented Love Notes in their settings. Clay Rojas from California works with young men and women in correctional settings while Avis Files from Ohio supports young fathers in realizing their hopes and dreams for their children and themselves. They will cover ways to 1) build rapport and connections with youth, 2) think outside the box to make concepts fun and interesting, 3) move from skepticism to optimism especially in terms of addressing dating and domestic violence. Presenters: Clay Rojas, Prison Families Aftercare Avis Files, Brothers United Fatherhood Program, Pathway Inc Resources: July 2017 Webinar PPT
Join The Dibble Institute’s staff as they share their high-points from last year in the field of youth relationship education. Topics include: Research that relationship education is a potent new tool for pregnancy prevention, Robust relationship education as part of the sexual violence prevention toolkit, New settings for relationship education including corrections, child welfare, and dating violence prevention, New evidence that porn threatens the capacity to build intimacy, and Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) through relationship education. Presenters: The Dibble Institute Staff Resources: Love Notes ACES Poster Love Notes Issue Brief Soft Skills That Foster Workforce Success Teens Technology and Romantic Relationships