Through its Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, Advocates for Youth strengthens the skills and capacity of providers and organizations to reduce adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections through efforts consistent with the 3Rs (Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® Campaign) by providing resources, consultation, training, and technical support.

Strategies

For Providers: Advocates for Youth supports providers and builds their skills by offering:

• Phone and email technical support to: answer questions about proven effective strategies and programs; offer referrals to local resources when appropriate; provide assistance in obtaining national, state, and, when possible, local data; and consult on a variety of issues related to identifying, adapting, implementing, and evaluating teen pregnancy and STI prevention programs
• Free, downloadable on-line publications, including promotional materials, curriculum, and planning guides
• Web access to over 15,000 abstracts from Advocates’ adolescent reproductive and sexual health library—one of the largest in the United States
• On-site training and consultation for providers of prevention programs and clinical services (on a fee-for-service basis)
• Educational and training opportunities through conferences, roundtables, and technical assistance events

For Organizations: Advocates for Youth strengthens the capacity of local and statewide teen pregnancy prevention organizations by providing everything that is available to providers (above) plus:

• Free, downloadable on-line publications on organizational development and capacity for executive leadership and board officers
• On-site training and consultation for organizations on issues such as financial sustainability, board development, and organizational vision and strategic planning
• Phone, email, and in-person leadership coaching and support for executive directors, CEOs, and organizational presidents
• Executive leadership transition assistance and services for organizational staff and board of directors

Special Project: Promoting Science-Based Approaches (2005 to 2010)

Through a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Advocates for Youth currently is funded to provide technical assistance, training, and consultation to nine statewide teen pregnancy prevention organizations and four Title X regional training centers in the Promoting Science-Based Approaches project from 2005 to 2010.

A key premise of Advocates’ work on Promoting Science Based Approaches is that an organization is most likely to be effective in promoting science-based approaches and programs when it has a solid infrastructure and uses multiple strategies to achieve its mission. Specifically, a statewide teen pregnancy prevention organization can be most effective as it builds its capacity to develop and sustain each of the following:

• Committed Board of Directors—that strongly supports science-based approaches and programs and has broad representation, including community representatives and researchers and/or evaluators familiar with science-based approaches and programs
• Effective Leadership—who understands the risk and protective factors related to unintended teen pregnancy; the latest research on science-based approaches and practices; and who can effectively articulate the need for science-based approaches and programs to the public, media, and funders
• Long-term Strategic Plan—for supporting science-based approaches and programs
• Range of Promotional Methods—to disseminate science-based approaches and programs, including materials, training to local organizations and councils/coalitions, public education, and collaboration with key stakeholders
• Solid and Diverse Funding Base—to ensure the continuity of its efforts

Partners  

CDC Project Partners Include:

• South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• Colorado Youth Matter
• Hawaii Youth Services Network
  • Check out these culturally competent HIV prevention videos from Hawaii Youth Services Network!
• Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregancy
• Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina
• Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention, and Parenting
• Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
• Oklahoma Insitute for Child Advocacy
• Center for Health Training (Washington State)

Advocates also works with these organizations:

• TeenNow California
• Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
• Georgia Campaign for Adlescent Pregnancy Prevention
• DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• FutureNet: Iowa Network for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Parenting and Sexual Health

Resources

• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative services are available to providers and organizations working in adolescent pregnancy and STI prevention in the United States and worldwide. Partners in the CDC’s Promoting Science-Based Approaches project can usually access all services at no charge. Through other funding sources and fee-for-services, Advocates’ staff provides the same high-quality, intensive technical assistance, training, and consultation to other state organizations upon request.
• Publications—Materials include issue briefs, facts sheets, and teen pamphlets and toolkits related to teen pregnancy prevention.

Contact

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative
P: 202.419.3420
F: 202.419.1448
2000 M Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036 USA