Goal

To reduce pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among youth between the ages of 10-19 by promoting sexual abstinence especially among African American, Latinx and other youth in southern Prince George’s County, Maryland through the provision of medically accurate, culturally responsive, and evidence-based abstinence education. It builds on the goal of the Making a Difference! curriculum to empower adolescents to change their behavior in substantive ways, thereby reducing their risks of HIV, other STIs, and adolescent pregnancy.

Overview

Program staff is certified by the State of Maryland in Making A Difference! curriculum, and experienced in facilitating abstinence education programs for the targeted pre- and teenage population. They possess a clear knowledge of the definition of abstinence and are able to successfully lead discussions that address all the aspects of such programming with fidelity. Since certification, staff have actively and regularly engaged trainings to over 400 youth using this curriculum and periodically review activities, challenges, and outcomes of these trainings to ensure consistency and accountability.

The program is conducted in partnership with athletic, religious, community-based, social programs or leagues, sand cout troops to reach youth ages 10-19 with the eight hour Making A Difference! curriculum. Parents are also engaged to ensure they have full knowledge of the content covered through in-person workshops and written materials available in Spanish and English.