An Evidence-Based Program

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2023 Title V Competitive Tool Kit 

Is your agency planning to be an applicant for the Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education grants? Deadline is July 18, 2023.

Eligible agencies reside in the following states: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau.

We will be updating the tool kit as necessary.

TopicLesson #
Benefits of Self-RegulationSession 6.4 Interpersonal Interactions and Romantic Relationships
Session 6.7 Conflict Resolution
Session 7.4 Stress, Positive Character Traits and Peer Pressure
Activity 7.5.3 Rules, Limits and Boundaries
Session 8.7 Peer Pressure and Avoiding Risky Behavior

Success Sequencing for Poverty Prevention

Session 8.1 Introduction to Healthy Futures, Goals and Dreams, Healthy Relationships, and Emotional Needs. This lesson includes a supplemental lesson about Success Sequencing for Poverty Prevention
Healthy Relationships
Session 6.4 Interpersonal Interactions and Romantic Relationships
Session 6.5 Healthy Relationships with Family and Peers
Session 8.6 Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
Goal Setting
Lesson 6.1 The choices you make now affect you later
Lesson 6.1.5 Mission Possible
Lesson 7.1.7 Dream Big
Lesson 7.1.9 Keys to Success
Session 8.1 Introduction to Healthy Futures, Goals and Dreams, Healthy Relationships and Emotional Needs
Resisting Sexual Coercion
Session 6.5 Healthy Relationships with Family and Peers
Session 6.6 Abstinence and Developing Refusal Skills
Session 7.4 Stress, Positive Character Traits, Peer Pressure
Session 8.7 Peer Pressure and Avoiding Risky Behavior
Session 8.8 Sex and the Law, Media Influence
Dating Violence
Session 6.7 Conflict Resolution Skills: Sexual Abuse and Cyber Assault
Session 7.7 Sexual Offenses

Risks of underage drinking, illicit drug use

Activity 6.1.6 Decision Making
Activity 6.1.7 Decision Making Scale
Activity 7.4.9 Refusal Scenarios
Activity 7.5.3 Rules Limits and Boundaries
Session 8.7 Peer Pressure and Avoiding Risky Behavior

 

Using a spiral curriculum design, developmentally appropriate concepts are introduced beginning with the grade 6th and then expanded in the 7th and 8th grade. Parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults receive a Parent/Trusted Adult Connection form highlighting each lesson. All Parent/Trusted Adult Connection forms provide talking tips useful for parents and caregivers to expand and reinforce the critical conversations with their teen.

Through engaging activities, HFNC develops skills youth need to avoid sexual activity during their teen years. The program serves youth in middle school by delivering 8 (50) minute lessons in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, targeting youth ages 11-15 from diverse communities and backgrounds. HFNC provides lessons about contraceptives and STD prevention without normalizing sexual activity for youth because the information includes both the risks and benefits of risk reduction strategies. Engaging activities support adolescents encouraging them to consider making the healthiest decision which is to avoid sexual risk during their teen years. The program is implemented successfully in diverse communities including urban, suburban, rural and in tribal nations across the United States.

Program elements used in HFNC that have been found to be effective in positive youth behavior change through a rigorous randomized controlled study demonstrating the program significantly delayed the initiation of sexual activity.

The evidence-based version implements a total of 1200 minutes over 3 years (400 minutes per year). Each lesson includes a Parent/Trusted Adult Connection form. Click on the links below to review the scope and sequence of each grade.

The core components implemented in the program are:

  • Incorporating the message “The choices you make now affect you later!”
  • Implement (24)50-minute lessons over 3 three years to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.
  • Building participants’ skills and self-efficacy to effectively weigh the benefits and consequences of their choices.
  • Incorporating activities that increase knowledge and influence positive attitudes, beliefs and self-efficacy to prepare teens for making healthy choices regarding relationships and sexual activity.
  • Using age appropriate and medically accurate materials and activities
  • Delivering high quality, participatory, and interactive sessions.
  • Engaging parents and guardians via distribution of daily Parent/Trusted Adult Connection forms.
  • Overview of Healthy Futures
  • Curriculum Outline:

 

Healthy Futures Nu-CULTURE (HFNC) was found effective at increasing the percentage of adolescents that delay the initiation of sexual activity. The study concluded that the program delayed sexual initiation for girls and for Hispanic populations1. Empowering youth to delay the onset of sexual activity improves health equity and sexual reproductive health outcomes by:

  • reducing the chances of a pregnancy early in adolescence2
  • reducing the chances of STI infection

In 2016, the program’s outcomes were published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2016.1 This independent evaluation found that the program significantly delayed the onset of sexual activity specifically for girls and for Hispanic populations. This study placed HFNC on the Health and Human Services list for evidence-based programs. 

1 Calise, T. V., Chow, W., Dore, K. F., O’Brien, M. J., Heitz, E. R., & Millock, R. R. (2016). Healthy futures program and adolescent sexual behaviors in 3 Massachusetts cities: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Public Health, 106, SI03-Sl09. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303389

2 Rotz Dana, Brian Goesling, Nicholas Redel, Menbree Shiferaw, and Claire Smither-Wulsin (2020). Assessing the Benefits of Delayed Sexual Activity: A Synthesis of the Literature. OPRE Report 2020-04, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For the full report about the benefits of delayed sexual activity, click here.

For the full impact study about the Healthy Futures program, click here.      

Tools for Grant Application