Shifting the Focus:

Challenging Assumptions, Redefining Theory of Change

and Engaging Young People as Assets to Community Change.




Allison M. Smith
Program Coordinator
The Bridge of Northeast Florida

Master of Public Administration Candidate
Sol Price School of Public Policy
University of Southern California


July 2013











Shifting the Focus 2



Wxecutive Summary:
Despite reports of positive outcomes in preventing teen pregnancy, the effectiveness of The Bridges sex
education program has not been rigorously evaluated in recent years. The program has been
implemented haphazardly, using inconsistent curricula and without consensus on criteria for completing
the program. The program reports on its audience of young teens who account for only a small portion
of teen pregnancies nationally, skewing the reported outcomes in The Bridges favor. The program does
not collect any data regarding STI/HIV prevention and or data that would illustrate effective individual
behavior change or linkage to larger outcomes.
Even if the reported outcomes can be statistically correlated with program efforts, recent research
asserts that the outcome of preventing teen pregnancy is not leading to intended the impact of self-
sufficient adulthood. Rather, underlying social problems persist in diminishing efforts to maximize a
youths potential.
1
A second set of outcomes for the children of teen parents must also be taken into
account to consider the transgenerational impact of these underlying issues. Still, it is difficult to discern
negative outcomes caused by teen pregnancy versus those caused by poverty.
In order to realize intended outcomes and maximize future impact, The Bridge needs to rethink its teen
pregnancy prevention program. First, it must accept that teen pregnancy is not the problem, rather a
symptom. As such pregnancy prevention is not the final solution, but a possible stepping stone toward
positive, future outcomes. The program must include theoretical perspectives and corresponding
activities that address the underlying social issues at an individual, community and structural level. It
must engage youth beyond promoting positive personal behaviors; it must encourage youth ownership
in community change efforts that address structural social issues, thereby unlocking the potential to
achieve widespread positive outcomes.






1
Kearney, M. , & Levine, P. (2012). Why is the teen birth rate in the United States so high and why does it matter?
[Working Paper]. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved June 3, 2013, p.1.
Shifting the Focus 3
Background:
The Bridge of Northeast Florida is a nonprofit, youth-serving organization initially formed in response to
a 1982 Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. study on teen pregnancy, which recommended a multi-
service teen center as a solution to the rise of risky teen behavior, teen pregnancies and the subsequent
cost to the community (in tax payer dollars).
2

Over the last 30 years, The Bridge has transformed into a comprehensive social service center for youth
and families in the most overburden neighborhoods of Jacksonville, FL. Services start prenatally with
case management for expecting and young mothers, expanding to Head Start for early childhood, then
reaching K-12 youth through traditional after-school programs, a daily alternative to out-of-school
suspension (ATOSS) and fully functioning alternative high school for students two or more grade levels
behind. School-aged youth are offered enrichment programs including academic tutoring, dance and
garden club to name a few. Some students at the Bridge benefit from case management, jobs-skills
training, mentoring, summer internship placement, mental health counseling, sex education, basic
health services including physicals and dental visits and college scholarship opportunities. Families are
offered additional assistance with food, clothing, and holiday gifts and can apply for special funds for
unexpected expenses or hardship help.
The Bridge uses the Asset Development Theory to address the whole child with the mission of
developing healthy, productive, self-sufficient youth and families. The Asset Development Theory
approaches all youth as at-potential and builds skills and protective factors that allow youth to
overcome challenges typically associated with low socioeconomic status.
3

Pregnancy prevention remains a target outcome for The Bridge. In theory, The Bridge operates like the
Carrera Model, where pregnancy prevention is achieved through a broader asset building framework
that includes weekly tutoring, jobs skills training, group mental health sessions, self-expression (arts),
sports and sex education. In the Carrera Model each segment is carried out year-round, 6 days a week
for all students.
4
This framework would work if The Bridges after-school program was scheduled like a
school day where students had core curriculum and a set, rotating schedule that ensured each student
received core education components each week. However, that is simply not the case. There are
challenges to scheduling after-school activities, which are perpetuated by disorganization and lack of
planning. In short, our organization has not been effective in connecting youth to the full spectrum of
services offered and many students in our after-school program are bored.
Though we looked to the Carrera Model for a broader framework, we strayed from the design by
utilizing different curricula for sex education. Focus on Kids was used for a number of years. This

2
Wahl, M. (1982, Summer). Teen pregnancy study: A report to the citizens of Jacksonville. Jacksonville Community
Council, Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://issuu.com/jcci/docs/82-teenage-pregnancy/1
3
"The Power of Developmental Assets." Search Institute. N.p., 2013. Web. 2 May 2013. <http://www.search-
institute.org/research/assets/assetpower>.
4
Evidence-based programs: Children's Aid Society- Carrera adolescent pregnancy prevention program. (2009).
Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from
http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.ebpDetail&PageID=592&PageTypeID=2#Theoretical
Shifting the Focus 4
curriculum implements the Protection Motivation Theory to achieve risk reduction. Protective
Motivation Theory rests on understanding risk and consequences and the motivation to act based on
that perception.
5
While this model has validity, we know that adolescents are abstract thinkers and that
concrete concepts like direct consequences can be difficult to grasp. Later in this paper, more recent
research by Melissa Kearny and Philip Levine from the National Bureau of Economic Research will be
detailed, which asserts that motivation among our population is much more complex than
understanding risks and that this approach is short sighted.
Focus on Kids is problematic for a number of additional reasons. First, it is obsolete. The curriculum has
been retested, updated and, in fact, has a new name: Focus on Youth. The curriculum is only approved
for ages 12-15, limiting our ability to implement fully within our organization. Furthermore, Focus on
Youth is meant for groups of 6-10 students. It is likely that even when we were implementing Focus on
Kids consistently we included well over 20 students, rendering the curriculum ineffective.
6
It should also
be noted that this educator has not seen a fully series of Focus on Kids implemented since joining the
organization in September 2011.
In addition to Focus on Kids, we have the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum, which fits neatly with the
Carrera Model. OWL spans 40 hours worth of instruction each year and utilizes a holistic approach
where sexuality is at the core of identity forming and youth development.
7
This curriculum would be a
good fit were we offering year-round, weekly classes to each student in our after-school program. As
noted above, we are not doing that. OWL has received national praise and is a great curriculum,
however it is not targeted at low-income or African-American adolescents and at times that is apparent.
Some activities are received well by our students, but many have fallen flat. Our students struggle to
understand the directions or relate to scenarios. Furthermore, at The Bridge we have never
implemented the curriculum in its entirety. In the last two years we have offered a perverted version
where OWL lessons are condensed to fit into the Focus on Kids timeframe, again with overcrowded
classes. Lastly, OWL requires that facilitators receive training before implementing the curriculum and
the current program coordinator has not been officially trained.
In March 2013, The Bridge began using the Teen Health Project/4Me curriculum in partnership with the
Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition and the national PREP grant. THP is a community-level
intervention tested in public housing communities. As such, The Bridge was selected to implement the
program at our Southwind Villas campus. THP uses Diffusion of Innovations theory, where diffusion is
the spread of cultural elements from one area or group of people to others by contact.
8
In this
program risk reduction is diffused to the entire community after a few teens are educated. This
curriculum also uses the Social Cognitive Theory where individuals learn by observing others. In addition

5
Evidence-based programs: Focus on Youth- An HIV prevention program for African-American Youth. (2009).
Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from
http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.ebpDetail&PageID=125#framework
6
Evidence-based programs: Focus on Youth. Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.
7
Curricula Bibliography: Our Whole Lives. (n.d.). Sex Ed Library. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from
http://www.sexedlibrary.org/index.cfm?pageId=778
8
Diffusion. (2013). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diffusion
Shifting the Focus 5
to the 6-hour classroom segment, selected students carry out a 6-month leadership component where
they become health educators in their community.
9

This program is targeted for expansion to The Bridges main campus in the Fall of 2013, however, its
target will account for only 10% of the intended program audience. Bringing this program to main
campus brings additional resources and will allow us to groom teen leaders. It is to our advantage to
implement this program with a targeted group of teens, however it is not recommended to implement
this curriculum for our entire main campus audience. First, while it is an effective curriculum for our
population it does not include a greater set of life skills. Second, the benefits of the leadership
component are offered only to a few students and the leadership component last 6-months creating
logistical inefficiencies in reaching our goal.
Moving into the 2013-2014 school year, this program has the opportunity to address its shortcomings
and transform into a model program. The following sections detail research and recommendations that
will effectively update the program, set new expectations and have a profound impact on the lives of
Bridge youth and families.















9
Evidence-based programs: Teen Health Project. (2009). Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.
Retrieved July 18, 2013, from
http://recapp.etr.org/Recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.ebpDetail&PageID=576&PageTypeID=2#Theoretical
Shifting the Focus 6
Synthesizing Recent Research to
Move into the Future:

Each of the theoretical perspectives listed in aforementioned curricula has proven efficacy in preventing
teen pregnancy and in some cases HIV. When we use these models, our assumptions create an if-then
scenario that eventually leads to our intended impact. Our previous assumption is that if we prevent or
stop risky behavior, then youth will avoid pregnancy. If youth avoid early/unplanned pregnancy, then
youth will graduate. If youth graduate, then they will seek higher education or training. If youth have
education and training, then they will have good jobs. If they have good jobs then they will move out of
poverty. At this point we have reached our intended impact. However, recent research is challenging
our assumptions; preventing pregnancy is not leading down the path to positive future outcomes.
Despite posits of cause and effect in the cycle of poverty, a study from the National Bureau of Economic
Research (NBER) by Melissa Kearny and Phillip Levine, suggests that teen pregnancy and teen parenting
are not causes of continued poverty. Rather the negative outcomes typically associated with teen
parenting such as lower levels of education and limited economic opportunity are merely a continuation
of that individuals low economic trajectory.
10
In other words, teen parents experience relatively the
same economic outcomes as their low-income peers who delay parenthood.
11

Kearny and Levine provide a third perspective on the economic debate that began in the mid-2000s
with Hotz, McElroy and Sanders (HMS) from the University of Wisconsin. HMS argued that teen
parenting might have positive effects on a teens economic outlook.
12
Later, Ashcroft and Lang, also
from NBE, exposed potential flaws in the HMS studies. Ashcroft and Lang refuted the notion that teen
parenting has a positive or benign effect on economic outlook, but concluded that the adverse effects of
teen parenting were modest, at best.
13
Six years later, Kearny and Levine echo the notion that teen
pregnancy has little effect on economic outlook and instead lead us to examine a root-cause approach.
The real problem, according to the Kearny and Levine, is that young people (women in particular) are
choosing to drop out of the economic mainstream. They choose parenthood over investing in their
human capital because they feel there is little chance of either social or economic advancement.
14
As
many teen pregnancies are considered unplanned or unintended, this choice may take form in apathy
towards prevention. Therefore, teaching teens the typical components of comprehensive sex education
such as contraception and healthy decision-making do not maximize impact. Those teens who perceive a
life of poverty as their only economic outcome will not be motivated to put risk reduction into practice
despite having access to information and services.

10
Kearney, M. , & Levine, P. (2012). Teen birth rate, p.1.
11
Taylor, J. L. (2009). Midlife impacts of adolescent parenthood. Journal of Family Issues, 30(4), 484-510. Retrieved
June 3, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2834207/
12
Hotz, V. J., McElroy, S. W., & Sanders, S. G. (2005). Teenage Childbearing and Its Life Cycle Consequences
Exploiting a Natural Experiment. Journal of Human Resources, 40(3), 683-715.
13
Ashcraft, A. & Lang, K. (2006). The consequence of teenage childbearing. [Working Paper] National Bureau of
Economic Research. Cambridge, MA.
14
Kearney, M. , & Levine, P. Teen Birth Rate, p. 2.
Shifting the Focus 7
While much of the research regarding teen pregnancy and teen parenting focuses on the females, we
must also understand the problem as it relates to males. Because teen men do not experience
pregnancy and their participation in parenting is perceived as optional, we generally assume that young
men do not face the same consequences of teen pregnancy. Longitudinal studies that capture both male
and female parents, reiterate the arguments listed above: in the long run, teen fathers remain on the
same economic trajectory had they delayed parenting. Teen men who become parents during
adolescence do experience a deficit in human capital that puts them in lower prestige jobs. As a result
these men earn, on average, $2,270 less per year than their peers who delayed parenting.
15
While
$2,270 can be considered a lot money, especially to those living in poverty, it does not represent a
devastating blow to ones economic outlook. Aside from income, these young men will likely experience
poor physical health in the future, but report job and relationship satisfaction comparable with their
peers who delay parenting.
16
Young men with higher economic potential are likely to delay fatherhood
to gain human capital and maximize their future earnings.
17
Still, young men who experience low
economic potential, like their female counterparts, will not see the value in delaying fatherhood as a
means of advancing in socioeconomic status.
The next layer of outcomes lies in the children of teen parents. Although research shows that teen
parents experience similar outcomes to their peers who delay parenting, children of teen parents are
likely to experience confounding negative outcomes from birth. Studies suggest that children of teen
parents are likely to be born prematurely and underweight, which could lead to a host of physical and
mental health problems.
18
Children of teen parents are twice as likely to be victims of abuse and neglect;
sons of teen mothers are twice as likely to end up in prison and daughters of teen mothers are three
times more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
19
Children of mothers age 17 and younger are
more likely than those born to mothers age 20-21 to be impulsive or overactive, and to suffer from
anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, or sadness (before controlling for background characteristics). This
link is consistent with the notion of hopelessness and limited economic outlook leading to a
continuation of low-economic trajectory.
20
While this research overwhelming argues that delayed
parenthood strongly benefits the next generation, these negative outcomes can still be attributed to
poverty, not just teen parenting.
The last part of the equation is those teens that succeed in delaying parenting. Through our efforts we
expect that teens who do not become teen parents will avoid negative outcomes, seek higher education
and thus advance in socioeconomic status. All three major studies cited in this paper indicate that our

15
Brien, M. J., & R. J. Willis. (1997). Costs and Consequences for the Fathers. Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs
and Consequences of Teen Pregnancy, 119-160. Edited by R. Maynard. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute. p.
120.
16
Taylor, J. L. (2009). Midlife Impacts, p.10.
17
Brien and Willis. Costs and Consequences, p. 123.
18
Wolfe, B., & Perozek, M., Teen children's health and health care use, in Kids having kids: Economic and Social
Costs of Teen Pregnancy, R. May-nard, Editor. 1997, The Urban Institute Press: Washington, DC.
19
Hoffman, S.D., (2006). By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Adolescent Childbearing. The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy Washington, DC
20
Terry-Humen, E., Manlove, J., & Moore, K., Playing catch-up: How the children of teen mothers fare. 2005,
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: Washington, DC.
Shifting the Focus 8
assumptions are wrong. Ashcroft and Lang explain simply that few differences *between teen parents
and their peers who delay parenting+ approach statistical significance.
21
Nationally, 21% of African-
American women will give birth by their twentieth birthday.
22
This number is significant, but still leaves
about 80% of the African-American population who have successfully avoided teen pregnancy. Yet, we
know that almost 30% of the African-American population lives in poverty. Thus the avoidance of teen
pregnancy presents little statistical gain in improving life outcomes.
23
Rather, this perpetuates the Kearny
and Levine notion that a teens low-economic trajectory perpetuates negative outcomes, regardless of
parenting.















21
Ashcraft, A. & Lang, K. (2006). The consequence of teenage childbearing. [Working Paper] National Bureau of
Economic Research. Cambridge, MA.
22
Trends in teen pregnancy and childbearing. (2013, April 29). US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of
Adolescent Health. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-
topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/trends.html
23
Poverty in the United States: Frequently asked questions. (2013). National Poverty Center, University of
Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/
Shifting the Focus 9
Understanding Low Economic Trajectory
and Teen Pregnancy Prevention:

Youth who are funneled down a low economic trajectory experience realities that lead them to believe
that they have little opportunity to advance in society. We know that youth living in low socio-economic
status (SES) experience less complex communication and are exposed to limited vocabulary curbing
their cognitive development.
24
These youth are read to less than their higher income peers and as a
result they read less for pleasure when developmentally appropriate. Low SES is negatively associated
with academic achievement as these youth are likely to attend schools with limited resources and are
twice as likely to have less-qualified, less-experienced teachers throughout their educational
experience.
25
These youth are predisposed to unstable family structures and they experience greater
exposure to violence and crime. Typically, these youth suffer from low expectations, which diminish
their drive towards success.
26

As these outcomes are repeated for individuals, families and communities a youths economic trajectory
seems to lead in a single, downward direction. These experiences create blinders, leaving youth unable
to see the peripheral possibilities of social and economic advancement. In addition, these experiences
create a deficit of developmental assets
27
or protective factors that facilitate positive attitudes and
behaviors that help expose youth to their full potential. Instead, youth with fewer assets are more likely
to engage in risk-taking behaviors including drug and alcohol use and sexual activity. These behaviors
are negatively correlated with success in school, health and leadership capacity.
28

In order to truly achieve our intended impact, our program must reach beyond preventing pregnancy
for the estimated 21% of our population for which that is likely to become a reality. Our program must
also impact the majority by embedding risk reduction into a larger context. Health education can be a
vehicle for youth to form identity, develop self-worth and build confidence. We can then infuse a
broader set of life skills including decision-making, teamwork, communication and coping that youth can
apply to all facets of their lives. Lastly, we must expand beyond the Asset Development Theory so that
youth can understand the possibilities that exist beyond their experience or community bounds. This
approach requires experiential learning through community service, civic engagement and leadership.



24
Dearing, E., McCartney, K., & Taylor, B.A. (2001). Change in family income-to-needs matters more for children with less. Child Development,
72, 1779-1793.
25
Evans, G.W. (2004). The environment of childhood poverty. American Psychologist, 59, 77-92.
26
Scales, P. C., Roehlkepartai, E. C., Neal, M., Kielsmeier, J. C., & Benson, P. (2006). Reducing academic achievement gaps: The role of
community service and service-learning. Journal of Experiential Education, 29(1), 38-60. Retrieved May 15, 2013, from
http://www.iowaservicelearning.org/uploads/5/9/7/3/5973129/, p.2-4. reducing_acheivement_gaps.pdf
27
The power of developmental assets. (2013). Search Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.search-
institute.org/research/assets/assetpower
28
Mannes, M., Ph.D. (2004). Appendix B: Research on and evidence for the developmental assets model. In Getting to Outcomes: Promoting
accountability through methods and tools for planning, implementation, and evaluation. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from
http://www.searchinstitutepress.org/grant_page/GTO_AppendixB.pdf
Shifting the Focus 10
SWOT Analysis
Internal External
STREGNTHS to capitalize on

- History of program and touted success.
- Availability of evidence-based curricula.
- Strong partnerships in community
-Strong base of local funders.
- New program coordinator whose sole
responsibility is this program allowing full focus.
- Support from upper management to make
necessary, impactful changes.
- Implementation of Efforts to Outcome software
- Positive feedback from youth on program
activities

OPPORTUNITIES to invest in

- Research supports redefining theory of change
and approach to better suit intended impact
- Healthy Start Coalitions Teen Pregnancy
Prevention Taskforce action items and PREP grant
- Implement program fully and consistently within
adjacent programs (BUS, BCI, BW)
- Access to SFF students after-school
- Educate staff and parents on curriculum, utilize
them as partners in the effort.
- Use ETO to gather statistical evidence of program
efficacy leverage for funding
- Use community partnerships for youth leadership
and community involvement.
- DCPS comprehensive sex education policy is not
being implemented, but technically allows for our
curriculum
- Youth interested in service and leadership, even
when unpaid
WEAKENESS to shore up

- Lack of brand identity and common vision of
program goals
- No current model for successful program
implementation within our organization/among
other programs; efforts are impromptu or trial &
error.
-Lack of organization, planning and communication
across programs.
-Previous emphasis on quantity over quality; efforts
to comply with grant rather than impact youth.
- Resources devoted are disproportionate to
expected outcomes
- Using garden variety curricula
- Little available data to support previous efforts
other than number of pregnancies
- Youth are bored or not held to high expectations
in some programs that filter youth to us.
THREATS to identify and offset

- Over-programming in after-school program
threatens ability to implement full curricula
- Some staff do not understand curriculum or
disagree with our comprehensive approach and
interfere with curricula implementation.
- Sex education is not easy to fund in the South;
leaving few options for grant proposals.
- National, state and local policies have curbed
efforts in reproductive health and prevention
education making it a hot-button issue.


Shifting the Focus 11
Recommendations
I. Redefine Theory of Change
Our theory of change fails to lead to greater intended impact, perhaps, because it oversimplifies
poverty. Our if-then assumptions allow us to easily conceptualize the cycle of poverty and give us a
clean-cut point of intervention. As professionals, we know that youth work is rarely this neat, but still we
have faith that our model will succeed. The Asset Development Theory targets the individual level of
change and focuses on positive attributes that lead to success. For some youth, intervening to prevent
pregnancy will help lead to success. For many, the cycle of poverty is not a single, circular force. Rather,
the cycle is perpetuated by compounding forces that drag our youth through the whirlwind on a daily
basis and over time into the generational repeat cycle. As such, there is no clear cut point of
intervention.
This image below depicts the singular cycle view of poverty. One can Google the cycle of poverty and
find many different combinations of outcomes that are thought to keep a person or family in the cycle.
Some models looks to health disparities that lead to the inability to work and thus income inequality.
Other models look at urban education and show poor education as the factor that leads along the same
trajectory. None of these models is wrong, in fact, they are all correct from their point of view. What
these models fail to capture is that each cycle is happening simultaneously to individuals and
communities creating a much greater force.

Cycle of Poverty and Model of Change











Shifting the Focus 12
This greater force forms what I call the
Cyclone of Poverty. In the Cyclone of Poverty
the social forces that affect our youth
constantly interact creating a state of chaos.
This state of chaos represents the community
and structural level forces that continue to
pull youth down a low-economic trajectory,
despite any attempt to break free. This
perspective inherently points to a multi-level
approach to solving social issues. It does not
discount the need for individual-based
efforts, but rather it shows us that tackling a
single issue will not be fruitful. We must focus
our efforts on setting a firm foundation for
individual youth so that they can become
grounded amid the chaos; so that they can
better understand their context in order to
navigate their way out of the storm.
Shawn Ginwright and Julio Cammarota write
in Social Justice, that the asset development
approach overemphasizes the positive and
fails to account for the powerful social forces
that affect young people.
29
Yet, they assert
that we can still take an asset-driven
approach, while realistically addressing the
negative structural forces that shape our youths
experiences.
This approach is called Social Justice Youth
Development (SYJD). SJYD calls on youth to move
beyond the individual intervention and become
agents of change on the greater scale. Through
SJYD, youth affect the critical consciousness or the
collective awareness of how institutional,
historical, and systemic forces limit and promote the
life opportunities for particular groups.
30


29
Ginwright, S., & Cammarota, J. (2002). New terrain in youth development: The promise of a social justice approach. Social Justice, 29(4 (90),
p. 84.
30
Ginwright, S., & Cammarota, J. (2002). New terrain in youth development, p. 87.
Shifting the Focus 13
Kearny and Levine point towards concepts from Ginwright and Cammarota as a means of addressing the
underlying social issues that either keep youth from implementing risk-reducing behavior or keep youth
on a low-economic trajectory despite implementing risk-reducing behavior. In order to truly tackle the
underlying social issues we must use a three dimensional approach. This idea is echoed by Claire Brindis,
Deborah Sattley and Laura Mamo in their 2005 monolith From Action to Theory: Frameworks for
Implementing Community-Wide Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Strategies. They explain, Too many
programs that are designed to produce individual behavior change have forfeited important
opportunities to maximize the success of their outcomes, instead they assert that, prevention
programs must be
championed by additional
stakeholders and at levels
that go beyond individual
behavior interventions to
other areas that influence
young peoples lives.
31

And so by combining Asset
Development Theory,
Social Learning Theory and
Social Ecology Theory we
create new assumptions:
(1) youth need to
experience a sense of
purpose and gain the
ability to envision a
positive view of the future
before they will implement
risk reduction, (2) despite
efforts at the individual
level, greater social
structures including
poverty and racism
drastically affect individual
behavior change and
hinder widespread impact.
From this we connect a
new chain of if-then
statements that lead to
our intended impact. Each

31
Brindis, C. D., Sattley, D., & Mamo, L. (2005). From theory to action: Frameworks for implementing community-
wide adolescent pregnancy prevention strategies.
Shifting the Focus 14
theoretic perspective enacts change in a different way. The interacting theories intersect, but the point
of change is not as clean cut as our previous model. Instead, these theories churn like gears constantly
addressing the various forces at play. This model allows us to strive toward pregnancy prevention as a
possible stepping stone towards success, but also allows us accept that teen parents can reach a
successful future despite failing to meet our intended outcome. This model more clearly addresses the
ongoing needs of the 80% of youth who will avoid pregnancy/parenting by paving opportunity beyond
our previous theory:
Individual- If youth cultivate a positive sense of identity, self-worth and purpose then they will
be better apt to develop a vision for the future. If youth can envision a positive future and
define success on their own terms then they will be more apt to make decisions that put them
on the path towards their vision.
Familial/Community- If youth are surrounded by positive role models or are able to discern
negative influence, then they will be better able to model positive behavior. If positive
behaviors/attitudes are modeled by youth, families and their communities, then youth will be
better able to envision life beyond their circumstance or low-economic trajectory. If youth can
envision better life outcomes then they will be more apt to strive towards that path.
Structural- If youth identify structural constraints that hinder their positive life outcomes, then
youth can work to address structural social issues. If youth act as agents of change, then they
are building assets and self-esteem on an individual level. If youth are building assets and skills,
then they will be more effective in making positive social changes. If youth are effective at
making positive social changes, then they will have eased the burden for themselves and others
like them. If the burden is eased for others, then they, too, will experience better outcomes.











Shifting the Focus 15
II. New Curriculum
With a new understanding of our theory of change we can better implement a curriculum that enhances
our efforts. As detailed in the Background section, The Bridge has used different curricula over the
years, but none has been effectively inserted into our existing framework. Given the organizations
reliance on Asset Development Theory, the organization could strive to implement the Carrera Model
where all youth are given a year-round core curriculum that includes the services already offered at the
Bridge (only more consistently among all youth). Moving towards this model would ensure all youth
receive comprehensive services, however, as previously stated, there are challenges that hinder
effective implementation of this model. Typically youth arrive to the after-school program at varying
times within a two hour window from 2pm to 4pm (as mandated by school dismissal). Similarly parents
begin to pick up youth typically in 2.5 hour window from 3:30p-6:00pm. This creates a large gap in when
students are actually present and which services they are able to receive. Furthermore, our average
daily attendance is much lower than our total enrollment, which indicates that most students do not
attend daily or consistently in many instances because they are involved in after-school sports and clubs.
The Teen Outreach Program (TOP), founded by the Wyman Center, also offers promise in combining our
theoretical frameworks. This curriculum requires a 9-month weekly commitment from participants. Less
than 15% of the curriculum explicitly addresses sex education, instead it focuses on life skills, asset
development and community development. The most unique component of TOP is that is requires teens
to complete at least 20 hours of community service per year.
32
Again, The Bridge would struggle to
implement this program with its intended integrity given the scheduling issues in the after-school
program.
Drawing on conceptions from these curricula and utilizing lesson plans from The Teen Health Project,
Our Whole Lives and Advocates for Youths Life Planning Education, we can create an original curriculum
that meets our needs while fitting into our existing structure.
In addition to our youth-focused curriculum this program will have parent and staff trainings that teach
about sexual health and youth empowerment strategies. This approach will work at our Social Learning
Theoretical perspective. The adult curriculum is not detailed in this paper, but will follow.
The following page displays proposed curriculum components:





32
Evidence-based programs: Teen Outreach Program. (2009). Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy
Prevention. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from
http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.ebpDetail&PageID=572&PageTypeID=2
Shifting the Focus 16
Curriculum Components:
12-hour active-learning curriculum
o Focuses on the Foundations of Individual Motivation: self-worth, sense of
purpose and positive view of personal future through life skills, sex education
and community service.
o 12 hour curriculum strives mirror BridgeWorks to create continuity and
consistency among Bridge programs. We must send the message this program is
as important as the others and deserves the same (if not more time). Advocates
for Youth puts job readiness at the end of their youth development/sex
education curriculum because the program sets a foundation for and segues to
job skills. We must first cultivate confidence in our youth and help them
envision a better future before we can expect job training to be effective.
o Community Service- offered every other Friday, first Wednesdays and Saturdays
and some days off from school. These projects will vary in nature, but strive to
teach a sense of commitment, civic engagement and youth empowerment.
o Leadership Retreats- In lieu of Teen Summits (a previous program element that
has no theoretical backing or evidence-based efficacy) we will institute
leadership retreats on weekends and school breaks. These retreats will be run
by youth where they will give meaningful presentations about issues in their
lives followed by small group reflections. Retreats will also include civic
engagement skills-building sessions so youth can be equipped to take action.
Small classes- Average 15 students per major curriculum recommendations and
feedback from Bridge youth that they are more comfortable in small settings.
Co-Facilitation-trained instructors and peer educators will lead classes and ask that no
other adults be present. Often times program managers, after-school staff or youth
development specialists are present, which can make youth uncomfortable or self-
conscious. Other times, staff bring donors or board members to observe, turning our
young people into objects. Guests must respect youth and their privacy above all. If
classes are small and there are two facilitators then classes will be easy to manage
making secondary program staff unnecessary.
Near-Peer and Peer Educators- Using our Social Learning Theory platform, it is
important that we involve role models that our young people can relate to. Facilitators
will be recruited from local universities to help our students see their options for the
future. Peer educators also model leadership and promote risk-reduction.
Program Completion- Programs such as BridgeWorks and BCI, whose grant require that
their students receive sex education must commit their clients to this whole program.
Completing all components of this curriculum will be the only definition of having or
completing sex education that will be reported for grants. Anything else is compliance
out of convenience and is not in the best interest of our youth or our program integrity.

Shifting the Focus 17
Curriculum Modules
Module Elementary Middle-High

1. Getting to Know Me

Participants identify their positive
attributes, what makes them unique
and what they value.
Participants identify their positive
attributes, what makes them unique
and what they value.

2. Seeing the Future, Setting
Goals

Young participants are introduced
to visioning and goal setting. This
module strives to help them
understand the idea of community
and a sense of context.
Participants create a personal vision
statement and learn to set concrete
goals that move towards that vision.
This module will also focus on
opening up possibilities that youth
can concretely relate to.

3. Decisions that get me
where I want to be

Participants learn about decision-
making and problem-solving
through an experiential activity and
debriefing. This module also teaches
strategies for coping with emotions.
Participants learn about decision-
making and problem-solving
through an experiential activity and
debriefing. This module also teaches
strategies for coping with emotions
& stress.

4. Getting to Know All of Me.

Introduction to reproductive
anatomy, discusses puberty and
personal hygiene. Coed groups will
learn about changes in both sexes,
but small gender specific groups will
allow youth the opportunity to ask
personal questions.
Review of (or for some, introduction
to) reproductive anatomy. Show
clips from Nat Geos Science of
Sexual Attraction. Youth will discuss
sexuality and sexual identity and
how it relates to personal
development.

5. Sexual Behaviors

Students will be taught the
biological, age-appropriate
definition of sex and the reasons
why adults engage in sex. Student
will learn the difference between
good touch and bad touch and what
to do if their safety is at risk.
Students will learn what behaviors
are included on the spectrum of
sexual behavior and their associated
risks in terms of pregnancy and
STI/HIV. This lesson will include
setting boundaries and
assertiveness as well as STI
overview.

6. Safety in Sex and
Relationships

This lesson will explore relationships
and the persons role in each.
Students will begin to identify role
models and positive influence.
This lesson will show youth the
various contraceptive and sexual
safety methods. This lesson will also
include safety in relationship
including sexual assault and dating
violence.

7. What Influences Me

This lesson will allow youth to
examine the factors that shape who
they are, what they believe and
their attitudes. Much attention will
be paid to media and structural
forces.
This lesson will allow youth to
examine the factors that shape who
they are, what thye believe and
their attitudes. Much attention will
be paid to media and structural
forces.

8. Leadership and Me

Youth will use the knowledge they
have gained about themselves over
the last 7 weeks to explore how
they can become leaders in the
community.

Graduation Celebration
Youth will use the knowledge they
have gained about themselves over
the last 7 weeks to explore how
they can become leaders in the
community.

Graduation Celebration
Shifting the Focus 18
III. Rebrand the Program
After redeveloping our theory of change and designing a new curriculum, we must take further steps to
ensure the new model is relatable to teens and accepted by staff and the community. We need to
rebrand the program with a new name: a name that embodies the idea of finding purpose, leadership
and empowerment; a name that hints at health or sex education; a name that is relatable to youth and a
name that distinguishable from other programs/brands. Furthermore, it needs to serve as an umbrella
name that includes our separately funded, separately formatted Teen Health Project.
Our current brand is threatened by several factors. First, we have no brand identity. The sale of the
Jacksonville Jaguars dissolved the Straight Talk brand. The team currently hosts Teen Talk and in an
effort to separate its mission from sex education the team no longer directly funds our program.
Although the Weaver Family Foundation continues to provide support under the Straight Talk name, the
brand identity belongs to the Jaguars Foundation. Should the Weavers attempt to recreate the brand
identity under their personal foundation, they too would face challenges.
Additionally, Straight Talk is the name of a popular cell phone provider that has gained national brand
equity. This mobile provider has a very similar logo to the Jaguars brand (both pre and post Weaver as
illustrated below). Both brands display on billboards in the area and the at-a-glance view usually defaults
to the mobile provider, not the local teen program.
Furthermore, the word talk implies that youth at being talked to (or worse, talked at). Our new
program will not talk to young people, rather it will engage them in active learning, illicit their thoughts
and ideas so that they are empowered to take action.
Last year, in an effort to open the program up to additional funding, we tried to rename the program
Healthy Choices. However, this name has not connected with staff and partners, leaving the program to
always be qualified as Straight Talk/Healthy Choices, which is cumbersome and not relatable to youth.
Healthy Choices is the name of a popular frozen dinner, which is ironically not the type of food we would
encourage our young people to eat should we teach them about nutrition in this program.








Top left: former Straight Talk
logo under Weavers. Top
Right: Straight Talk Wireless
logo. Bottom left: Current
Teen Talk logo after Weavers.
Bottom right: Healthy Choice
food logo

Shifting the Focus 19
Several attempts at including our youth in renaming the program have been made, but aside from
surveys our brainstorming sessions have not come into full fruition. Some of the options discussed are:
C3i- Confident, Informed, Independent, Inspired
LEAP (Leadership Education & Advancement Program)
Youth-LED (Leadership, Empowerment, Development)
BridgeLEADS (Leadership. Empowerment. Asset Development. Service)
BridgeFOUNDATIONS
When surveyed as the only option, 72% of Bridge youth said that they Liked the name c3i, while 10%
said they loved it. This name is derived from the tenants in the program mission statement (below). It
is distinguishable and relatable for youth, but does not follow the typical format of other Bridge
program names.
BridgeFOUNDATIONS follows the format of Bridge Works and Bridge Connection. It alludes to the idea
of forming a solid foundation of personal identity and self-worth as well as making our youth the
foundation of community change. However, it has not been tested among youth.
The in a more recent survey of 75 youth, BridgeLEADS won more than 50% of the votes. This name does
not necessarily capture the health aspect of this program, but this may be a strong technique for
opening our program to additional funders. Projects out of San Francisco use LEaDs and LED as program
names, this may necessarily not be a threat to brand recognition due to locality, but does question
originality.
A new brand identity can be developed using a name suggested here or another. A new brand identity
will signify to staff that they cannot hold this new program to the standards of the previousthis new
program will be better! A new brand will signify to youth that we are making every effort to connect
with them. Lastly, it will signify to potential donors that we have expanded beyond sex education and
perhaps open our program to new funding opportunities.
IV. Extensive Evaluation
The last recommendation is to use evaluation as tool that measures quality, not just compliance.
Through weekly youth surveys and periodic follow up surveys we will track our youth outcomes in self-
efficacy and risk-taking behavior. We will measure our outcomes against those reported by the Youth
Risk Behavior Survey, which will serve as our control group. It is important that we begin to show how
we are affecting youth self-esteem and decision-making, not just whether they became teen parents.
Through this evaluation we will honestly acknowledge our efforts as successful or in need of
improvement. When we draft reports, the aim will not be to appease or comply with funders, but rather
to rigorously analyze what works well and what does not. From this we will utilize the feedback loop to
make necessary programmatic changes on an ongoing basis.

Shifting the Focus 20
Program Overview
Program Name:

To Be Determined

Mission Statement:

[Insert New Name] builds confidence, self worth and purpose in Bridge youth by providing access to
information and by cultivating leadership, life skills and a commitment to community.

We achieve these ends through experiential class sessions, service learning experience and community
partnerships that allow youth to experience independence and that inspire youth to make positive
choices that lead them towards success, as they define it. Empowered by their potential, these youth
will share the information and their skills with their peers and their community in order to maximize
social impact.

Vision Statement:

External Vision:
All youth, particularly those typically labeled at-risk, experience a positive sense of self-worth
that allows them to imagine a successful future.
All youth have the necessary skills and supports to fulfill their vision of a successful future.
Young people are treated as a crucial investment in and valuable asset to their community;
young people act as critical change agents, challenging structures and institutions that
historically hinder positive youth outcomes.
Internal Vision:
This program becomes the epicenter for positive youth development at the Bridge, setting a
new standard for youth empowerment and youth equality in our organization.
This program rigorously collects meaningful data that accurately measures outcomes and
impacts. Using this data we will celebrate success, but more importantly recognize short-
comings as opportunities for necessary change and growth.
This program will grow beyond the confines of one small office to include additional staff,
interns and a team of youth who have their own space for creativity, growth and social impact.




Shifting the Focus 21
Values
Equality- All youth, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual identity/orientation or ability are equally
accepted and included in an environment that nurtures and celebrates their differences. Youth are equal
to adults; their respect and buy-in must be earned and fostered in the way that promotes partnership
not power.
Access- All youth are afforded the right to medically-accurate health information and services as defined
by SIECUS and the State of Florida. Period.
Excellence- Staff, interns and participants alike are held to the highest standard. Excellence is embodied
as an attitude and way of being that promotes high expectations and thus the highest quality
programming, participation and outcomes.
Service- High-quality, knowledgeable and nurturing staff serve youth with a commitment to positive
outcomes. In turn, youth learn to serve their community, building their individual skills while
contributing to the greater social efforts.
Playfulness- People learn best when they are at play. Activities should be planned with the intent to first
be fun! As adults our work in social change can become serious and stressful, we must allow ourselves
to balance serious and playful in order to be truly open to the possibilities of our work.
Priority Outcomes:
Youth experience positive self
esteem, develop a sense of purpose
and aspire to a positive view of their
personal future.
Youth demonstrate knowledge of
and motivation to implement risk-
reducing practices
Key Strategies:
Focus on foundation-building assets
Strengthen Knowledge, Skills and
Attitude (KSA) toward healthy sexual
development and risk reduction
Enhance youth empowerment and
civic engagement
Ensure adults can reinforce critical
messages
Build program capacity to scale
Shifting the Focus 22
Strategy Tactics Measures of Output Measures of Outcome
Focus on
foundation-
building assets

o Curriculum emphasizes self-
esteem, self worth and purpose.
o Service-learning and civic
engagement
o Leadership Retreats
o Youth in program are referred to
as Youth Leaders
o Referrals to additional services or
opportunities
o BridgeWorks summer internship
placement working for the
program

o # of youth complete
curriculum
o # of service hours
completed
o # of youth attend
Leadership Retreats
o # of youth connected
to additional
resources
o # of participants who
continue to next
phase (leadership,
internship)

o Less than 34% of females and 21% of
males who complete program report
feelings of prolonged sadness or
hopelessness
o % participants reporting 31+ assets
o % participants who report experiencing
these specific assets: Personal Power,
Self-esteem, Sense of Purpose, Positive
View of Personal Future
o % participants who report program
positively influences decisions
Strengthen
Knowledge, Skills,
Attitude (KSA)
toward healthy
human sexual
development and
risk reduction
practices

o Curriculum teaches reproductive
anatomy and biology, sexual
development, contraception,
STI/HIV prevention.
o Peer educators
o Access to over the counter
contraception

o # of youth complete
curriculum
o # of peer educators
o # of peer-led health
events
o # of pre-post and
follow up surveys
completed
o # of condoms/
contraceptives
dispersed

o Participants delay sex longer than peers
(measured by age against YRBS)
o Less than 12% of those currently
sexually active have had multiple
partners in last 3 months
o More than 19% of sexually active
participants used a condom during last
sex activity
o 50% of sexually active participants have
had STI/HIV test
o % youth express delayed parenting as
strategy for successful future.
Enhance youth
empowerment
and civic
engagement

o Bi-weekly service-learning trips
o Youth participation in Board of
Education, City Council, Jax2025
meetings, etc.
o Youth-led projects that address
social issues
o Bridge Works summer internship
placement
o Social media engagement
o # of community
service hours
completed by youth
(expressed in $)
o # of community
events participated in
o # of youth-led projects
# of youth leaders
who work for program
over summer
o # of Likes/Followers

o % participants who report experiencing
the Equality & Social Justice asset
o % increased self efficacy in impacting
social challenges and needs
o Notable changes in policy (Bridge,
school, community) enacted by youth
projects

Ensure adults can
reinforce critical
messages

o Bridge Staff trainings
o Parent/Significant Adult
workshops
o Partner with community
organizations that value youth
participation

o # of staff trained
o # of parents attend
sessions
o # of partnership
organizations

o % staff & parent efficacy in knowledge
about sexual health
o % staff and parent efficacy in
responding to youth questions and
needs
o % youth satisfaction with adult
response
Build program
capacity to scale

o Utilize youth in program
implementation/development
o Hire part-time staff/interns
o Submit application Ameri-Corps
o Staff receive weekly coaching
o Evaluation data facilitates
strategy realignment each year

o # of youth serving
program
o # of trained facilitators
o Ameri-Corps support
o Evaluation data/
reports

o % Bridge youth receive complete
program
o Increased funders and funding total
o % youth report satisfaction with
program staff

Shifting the Focus 23
Strategy Considerations
Teen Health Project
Teen Health Project is a separate grant and separate program embedded within our greater program.
THP will be implemented at Southwind Villas and on Main Campus with the aim to education 20
participants per site. While this curriculum is shorter in length, the Teen Leadership Council spans half a
year and includes up to 10 participants annually per site. These groups need to be isolated in order to
promote the efficacy of the program, which endures tedious evaluations via the University of North
Florida. If participants completed both programs, it would contaminate the THP data.
We will implement the first cycle on Main Campus with SFF students. The intent is that the 5 members
of the Teen Leadership Council might serve as officers for an after-school club where they can recruit
classmates to complete our additional curriculum, community service and leadership events. We would
also like SFF students to experience the 10 x 45-minute Sexual Assault Prevention curriculum conducted
by the Womens Center of Jacksonville to address the continued concern among SFF females and enact
tangible changes.
The second set of THP on Main Campus will be conducted among JEA students. This strategy will work
well in year one, but will need to be readdressed in 2015 as the program has a low turnover and THP
requires new participants each cycle. In the event the JEA is not a viable option for 2014-2015, we will
likely conduct the second Main Campus cycle with an additional group of SFF students.
The Teen Health Project budge includes a stipulation for educational incentives and $400 stipend for
Teen Leaders. It is my hope that we can leverage the incentive structure to develop at least 10 teen
leaders into peer educations who can assist in facilitating the main campus curriculum.
Scheduling and Scaling
As seen in the schedule below, mindful implementation of this program creates an extremely tight
schedule and still yields only the minimum participant output (180). The target number of 190 (as
stipulated in the Healthy Choices grant) is seemingly arbitrary. The number is derived from the Average
Daily Attendance at the after-school program. However, actually enrollment last year neared 600
students, of which over 500 were in the appropriate age range to complete the curriculum. This number
only accounts for a small portion of the SFF students who spend their day on our campus, nor does it
account for all the Bridge Connection youth who are required to complete the curriculum, but do not
attend the after-school program. Together, this indicates that there is a greater population and greater
need than we are currently equipped to address.
The schedule presented below also is optimistic that 15 students will be able to attend for 8 consecutive
weeks and that they will be available from 4:00pm-5:30pm. The proposed start time is based on the
after-school program schedule where students finish homework and move on to enrichment. It is known
that dinner is served at 5:00pm, but the assumption is that these students will just have to wait to eat
on their given day. Another issue is that our own buses cut curriculum short by rounding up students
Shifting the Focus 24
around 5:00pm and parents begin to pick students up much earlier than 5:30pm. Class size may dwindle
to a mere few by time the session is complete. The 1.5 hours format is preferred to 45-60 minutes so as
not to drag each cycle to 12 weeks. Since classes are small we need to fit in as many cycles as possible
per year in order to reach our target.
Furthermore, all Bridge Works students are required to complete the sex education curriculum. These
students are all accounted for in the total enrollment at the after-school program, but historically these
students do not attend daily, rather only for required Bridge Works events. Similarly, Bridge Connection
requires that most of their clients receive sex education each year. The BCI students who attend our
after-school program will likely be filtered into our scheduled class sessions. However, there is a large
portion of BCI clients who do not attend the after-school program.
There are several suggestions for improving chances of success based on these challenges: first, it is
recommended that classes are conducted based on enrichment group (i.e. every Tuesday for 8 weeks
the dance group has curriculum and on Thursdays it is the Step team. We would then take on new
enrichment groups in the next cycle). Second, reminders can be sent to parents each class day to remind
them that their child is receiving critical services during that time. Third, we can shift the time to
capitalize on the students who arrive at our program the earliest. These students from Kirby-Smith,
Matthew Gilbert and Andrew Jackson often arrive at least 1 hour earlier than other students and are not
subjected to structured programming until the majority arrives. This approach would not work in
conjunction with assigning groups based on enrichment group as there is likely to be overlap.
Another approach is not to focus on the general after-school program participants, but rather segment
based on participation in Bridge Works, Bridge Connection and SFF. While this approach will likely meet
the target participant output, it leaves a significant number of our after-school program youth without
access to this critical curriculum.
Bridge Works students will be well informed of when each session will take place and their options to
attend. Attempts to mirror the Bridge Works sessions will be made (i.e. conducted over the same 8-
week period so that youth can attend Bridge Works on Tuesday and this program on Thursday).
Intensive sessions will be held in May and June so that participants can complete the curriculum before
beginning their summer job.
Additional series can be held outside of the 8-week format to better accommodate BCI and interested
SFF students (or youth referred from other agencies.) The curriculum can be divided into 4x3-hour
sessions, which can be implemented outside of regular program hours. For instance on early dismissal
days, class can be held from 3:30-6:30 or 4:00pm-7:00pm, on Friday nights as part of a Safe Place
initiative or on Saturday mornings/afternoons. Teacher planning days and extended breaks also offer
the opportunity to conduct classes, but at this point those days are reserved for community service and
leadership retreats.
Looking toward the future, it is important to strategize ways in which we can bring this program to scale
or where our projected outputs closely match the number of students we serve. One approach towards
that end would require a strong shift to the Carrera Model, where sex ed/life skills curriculum is
Shifting the Focus 25
implemented once a week for each student throughout the year. Another alternative would be to host
multiple groups per day in each cycle. Both cases would require increased program staff to better
manage the logistics of getting the effort to scale.
Staffing
The Co-facilitation model requires that each session is facilitated by two, highly trained professionals
and/or peer educators. This strategy eases classroom management and allows classes to continue
should one staff member be out of the office.
The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition contracts co-facilitators to assist in each Teen Health
Project group. It is likely that Southwind Villas and Main Campus will have different co-facilitators as
these contracted professionals have primary jobs or are students with scheduling constraints. This
contracting brings approximately $10,500 in labor or organization each year at no cost to us. Given our
budget constraints, we will be unable to match or near that contribution for staff on main campus.
Given the implementation schedule below, it is recommended that each Cycle have at least 3
interns/staff who each serve between 10-15 hours per week. As classes are 1.5 hours, 3 days per week,
this time will allow for class prep, class instruction, paperwork, data collection/analysis, weekly coaching
and additional trainings. It also allows facilitators time to be available to youth for informal sessions.
Hosting 3 interns also allows for overlap and scheduling flexibility. Internships will likely take place on a
semester calendar and span two class cycles ranging from August-December, January-May and June-
August. We can give preference to interns who commit to a full year of service to ease our burden of
training/retraining and to promote program quality through increased staff experience. My tentative
stipend recommendation is between $500-$1000 per semester. Moving forward, AmeriCorp staffing
may help us better meet our staffing needs.
Supplemental Activities
In addition to hosting curriculum hours during after-school program hours, as indicated above it is likely
that this program will have to operate outside the confines of typical program hours. This program is
designed to meet the needs of the youth not cater to business hour schedules. Community service trips
will be offered every other Friday and on days off from school (particularly Veterans Day and Martin
Luther King Jr. Day). Trips to Community First, First Saturdays at the Landing will be arranged and we will
explore the possibility of youth staffing a table at the Riverside Arts Market and First Wednesdays Art
Walk.
Leadership retreats will take place over winter break, spring break and the summer vacation. The design
is not final, but they will ideally span two-full days. They will be youth-led and as such staffing will
minimal. We will also host at least one dance (planned by youth) for participants to celebrate their
completion of and accomplishments in this program. We are open to Saturday programming as a means
of connecting with as many youth as possible.

Shifting the Focus 26
Implementation Schedule
The flowing chart displays a routine schedule for implementing this curriculum in the after school
program. There will be 3 groups of 15 students who participate in one, 1.5 hour class session each week.
These groups would continue until they have completed 8 class sessions and then a new group (cycle)
begins. Given the school calendar, the routine schedule does not fit neatly into 8 consecutive weeks,
as such specific dates for each cycle and group are detailed on the following pages.
In addition to the 3 general population groups participating in the after-school program, special 3 hour
sessions will be hosted for BCI youth who do not attend the after-school program. These sessions will
take place on four consecutive early release Wednesdays. Please note, beginning in January, there will
be a conflict with this approach.
Teen Health Project class sessions will take place outside of the scope of the normal cycle. However,
the Teen Leadership Council meetings are integrated into this schedule. Southwind Villas TLC will meet
on alternative Wednesdays and main campus TLC will meet on alternating Fridays














Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Group 1

Group 2 Art Walk

SWV Teen
Leadership
Council
Group 3 Community
Service
First Saturday
Health
Fair/Riverside
Arts Market
Group 1 Group 2 Early Release

BCI- 3hr
Session
Group 3 BTS Teen
Leadership
Council

Group 1 Group 2 SWV Teen
Leadership
Council
Group 3 Community
Service
Some
Saturdays may
be used for
community
service or
leadership
retreats
Group 1 Group 2 Early Release

BCI- 3hr
Session
Group 3 BTS Teen
Leadership
Council

Shifting the Focus 27
Teen Health Project -2012-2013
Cycle 1- Workshop series must be completed by March 30, 2013
Southwind Villas- Cycle 1 of 2 (COMPLETED)
March 5, 7, 12, 14- SWV THP Workshop Series
March 19- Parent Workshop
April 5- St. Augustine Field Trip
May 14- SVW THP 60-Day Follow Up
April 5-Sept 5- Teen Leadership Council (Tuesdays, bi-weekly)
Main Campus- Cycle 1 of 2
Not responsible for completing. Grant funding begins mid grant year.
Cycle 2- Workshop series ust be completed by September 30, 2013
Southwind Villas- Cycle 2 of 2
August 6, 7, 8, 9- SWV THP Workshop Series
August 13- Parent Workshop
August 15- St. Augustine Field Trip
October 9- SVW THP Cycle 2 60-Day Follow Up
August 15-February 15- Teen Leadership Council (Wednesday, bi-weekly)
Main Campus: Schools for the Future- Cycle 2 of 2 (technically)
August 27, 29- SFF THP Workshop Series
September 3, 5- SFF THP Workshop Series
NEED DATE- Parent Night
November 7- SFF THP Cycle 2 60-Day Follow Up
Sept 13-March 15- Teen Leadership Council (Friday, bi-weekly)





Shifting the Focus 28
Teen Health Project 2013-2014
Cycle 1- Workshop series must be completed by March 30, 2014
Main Campus: JEA Students- Tentative Dates 2014!
2014- Start either Jan 8 or Jan 15, bi-weekly for 12 weeks
2014- End around March 26
2014-Parent Night- Monthly JEA Family Night
2014- May 21 or 28 JEA THP Cycle 2 60-Day Follow Up
2014- March 26-Sept 25- Teen Leadership Council (Fridays, bi-weekly)
Southwind Villas- Tentative Dates 2014!
2014- March 4, 6, 11, 13- SWV THP Workshop Series
2014-March 14- Parent Workshop
2014-May 14- SVW THP 60-Day Follow Up
2014- April 2-Oct 5- Teen Leadership Council (Wednesdays, bi-weekly)
Cycle 2- Workshop series must be completed by September 30, 2014
Main Campus- School for the Future- Tentative Dates 2014!
2014- August 26, 28- SFF THP Workshop Series
2014 September 2, 4- SFF THP Workshop Series
2014- NEED DATE- Parent Night
2014- November 7- SFF THP Cycle 2 60-Day Follow Up
2014- Sept 5-March 5- Teen Leadership Council (Fridays, bi-weekly)
Southwind Villas- Tentative Dates 2014!
2014- July 8, 15, 22, 29- SWV THP Workshop Series
2014- August 5- Parent Workshop
2014- September 30- SVW THP Cycle 2 60-Day Follow Up
2014- August 6-February 4- Teen Leadership Council (Wednesdays, bi-
weekly)



Shifting the Focus 29
Bridge Main Campus Program
Cycle 1- September/October 2013
o Mondays- Elementary Cycle 1 Group 1
September 9, 16, 23, 30
October 7, 14, 21, 28
o Tuesdays- MS/HS Cycle 1 Group 2
September 10, 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
o Early Release Wednesdays- Cycle 1 BCI- 3 hour sessions 3:30pm-6:30pm
September 11, 25
October 9, 23
o Thursday- MS/HS Cycle 1 Group 3
September 12, 19, 23
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
o Every other Friday- Community Service
September 20
October 4, 18
November 1
o First Saturdays Health Fair/Riverside Arts Market
September 7
October 5
o Parent Night
October 30- Lets Talk Month








Shifting the Focus 30
Cycle 2- November/December 2013
*Note- due to Thanksgiving and Winter breaks, it is only feasible to complete ONE general
population group during this time. This group meets twice per week. The additional time will
be used for staff training, leadership development and community service.
o Tuesdays & Thursdays- Elementary Cycle 2 Group 1
November 12, 14, 19, 21
December 3, 5, 10, 12
o Early Release Wednesdays- Cycle 2 BCI- 4 hour sessions 3:30pm-7:30pm
November 6, 20
December 11
o Every other Friday- Community Service
November 15
December 13
o Special Community Service for Thanksgiving & Christmas
November 26
December 17
o Mini Leadership Retreat
Monday, December 2
o Leadership Retreat
January 2-4
o Adult Trainings
November 11 (tentative, may be a full service event)
December 19
o First Saturdays Health Fair/Riverside Arts Market
November 2
December 7
o Parent Night
December 4- Tentative (plan to coincide with Pass N Play so parents can
attend just before students are picked up).





Shifting the Focus 31
Cycle 3- January/February/March 2014
o Mondays- Elementary Cycle 3 Group 1
January 6, 13, 27
February 3, 10, 24
March 3, 10
o Tuesdays- MS/HS Cycle 3 Group 2
January 7, 14, 21, 28
February 6, 13, 20, 27
o Early Release Wednesdays- Cycle 3 BCI- 3 hour sessions 3:30pm-6:30pm
PENDING JEA TEEN HEALTH PROJECT DATES!!
February 5, 19
March 12, 26
o Thursday- MS/HS Cycle 3 Group 3
January 9, 16, 23, 30
February 6, 13, 20, 27
o Every other Friday- Community Service
Monday, January 20- MLK DAY OF SERVICE
January 10, 24
February 7, 21
o First Saturdays Health Fair/Riverside Arts Market
January 4
February 1
o Leadership Events
Friday, February 14- Youth-led dance
o Parent Night
February 26 or February 14 prior to Valentines Dance pick up
o Staff Training
January 17






Shifting the Focus 32
Cycle 4- March/April/May
o Mondays- MS/HS Cycle 4 Group 1
March 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
May 5, 12
o Tuesdays- MS/HS Cycle 4 Group 2
March 25
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
May 6, 13
o Early Release Wednesdays- Cycle 4 BCI- 3 hour sessions 3:30pm-6:30pm
PENDING JEA TEEN HEALTH PROJECT DATES!!
March 12, 26
April 9, 16
o Thursday- MS/HS Cycle 4 Group 3
March 27
April 3, 10, 17, 24
May 1, 8, 15
o Every other Friday- Community Service
March 28
One Spark/Global Youth Service April 10-13
April 18 (full day of service,
May 2, 16
o First Saturdays Health Fair/Riverside Arts Market
April 5
May 3
o Leadership Events
March 17-18 Leadership Retreat
o Parent Night
May 7
o Staff Training
April 4
* if needed an intensive curriculum can be conducted during week of spring after the
Leadership Retreat


Shifting the Focus 33
Cycle 5- Intensive May 19-30
o Monday-Friday- MS/HS Cycle 5 Group 1
May 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29
*Memorial Day Weekend
o Community Service
Friday, May 30
Cycle 6- Intensive June 9-13
o Monday- Friday- MS/HS Cycle 6- 4x3-hrs sessions
June 9, 10, 11, 12
*We can conduct morning and afternoon groups if need be
o Friday, June 13- Community Service
Summer 2014
o Monday, June 16- Friday, August 1, 2014
o 15 youth at least 15 hours per week
Training
Peer Ed @ Summer Camp
Youth-led projects















Shifting the Focus 34
Appendix
Guiding Facts and Statistics for Jacksonville Youth
Violence & Crime
In Duval, 20% of middle school youth have carried a weapon for protect at some point in their
life
33
and about 20% of high school youth have carried a weapon in the last month.
34
Nine
percent of high school youth said that have been threatened by someone with a gun or weapon
at school in the last year.
35

In Jacksonville, 42% of all middle school youth have been in a physical fight in their lives;
36
37%
of African American high school students have been in a fight in the last year.
37

On average, teen women and men in Jacksonville report equally experiencing dating violence in
the last year. Reports of violence steadily increase with age from 12% to 18% for girls from 9
th
to
12
th
grade and from 13% to 20% for boys, respectively.
38

A similar trend exists for sexual assault for Duval students: on average almost 10% of males and
14% of females report having been forced to have sex against their will. For males sexual assault
rises from 8.5% at age 15 or younger to 15% at 18 and older. For females sexual assault es from
12% to 17% respectively.
39

Drugs & Alcohol
By 12
th
grade 70% of Duval students have tried alcohol at least once,
40
with 30% trying alcohol
during their middle school years.
41

In Duval, nearly 26% of 8
th
grade youth
42
and nearly 40% of all high school youth
43
have used
marijuana.
Depression
34% of female and 21% of male Duval students report experiencing feelings of sadness and
hopelessness everyday for at least 2 weeks in the last year.
44



33
2011 Youth risk behavior survey: Duval County middle school survey, detail table-weighted data. (n.d.). Duval County Public Schools.
Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/departments/acadprog/health/yrbs/downloads/
2011DUM%20Detail%20Tables%202011.pdf, p, 103.
34
2011 Youth risk behavior survey: Duval County high school survey, detail tables-weighted data. (n.d.). Duval County Public School. Retrieved
May 14, 2013, from http://www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/departments/acadprog/health/yrbs/downloads
/2011DUH%20Detail%20Tables%202011.pdf,, p 13.
35
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 25.
36
2011 YRBS. Middle School, p. 109.
37
2011 YRBS. High School, p.28.
38
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 20-21.
39
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 40-42.
40
2011 YRBS. High School p.82.
41
2011 YRBS. Middle School, p. 43.
42
2011YRBS. Middle School. p.46.
43
2011 YRBS High School, p.100.
44
2011 YRBS High School, p. 47-48.
Shifting the Focus 35
Sexual Activity
On average 19% of Duval middle school youth
45
and 51% of Duval high school youth are sexually
active.
46
From age 12 to age 14 the number of sexually active youth jumps from 8.9% to 33.4%.
Similarly, there is a 31% increase in sexually active youth from age 15 to 18+.










Nearly 40% of all Duval youth have had sex with multiple partners in their life.
47

Of the 36.7% high school youth who currently sexually active in Duval, 12.4% have had multiple
partners in the last three months.
48

On average, only 11% of Jacksonville students had sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
49

About 19% of Duval youth did not use a condom the last time they had sex with 9.5% reporting
using no other method of contraception or were unsure if another method was used.
50

Condoms are by far the most commonly used contraception among Duval youth, with little
implementation of LARC methods.
51

In 2012, Health Zone 1 had the highest percent of all HZs for four of the six sexual behavior risk
factors: ever had sexual intercourse, had sexual intercourse for the first time before age 13, had
sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life and currently sexually active.
52

Youth in Health Zone 1 have the lowest rate of safe sex practices.
53



45
2011 YRBS Middle School, p. 55.
46
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 136.
47
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 142.
48
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 145.
49
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 148.
50
2011. YRBS. High School, p. 151 and 154.
51
2011 YRBS. High School, p. 154-156.
52
Youth risk behavior survey: Duval County high school students 2011-Sexual behavior. (n.d.). Duval County Public Schools. Retrieved May 14,
2013, from http://www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/departments/acadprog/ health/yrbs/downloads/SexBeh%20HS%20FINAL.pdf, p.2.
53
YRBS. Sexual Behavior. p.3.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
11 and
younger
Age 12 Age 13 Age 14 Age 15 Age
16/17
Ages
18+
Pecent Duval Youth Sexually
Active
Shifting the Focus 36
Teen Pregnancy
Nationally, 21% of black women will give birth by their 20
th
birthday.
54

In 2011, the teen birth rate among black women was 47.4 births per 1000.
55

71% of all teen births occur to 18 and 19 year olds.
56

Children of mothers age 17 and younger are more likely than those born to mothers age 20-21
to be impulsive or overactive, and to suffer from anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, or
sadness (before controlling for background characteristics).
57

The children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birthweight
compared to children of older mothers, which raises the probability of infant death, blindness,
deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, cerebral palsy,
dyslexia, and hyperactivity.
58

The children of teen parents also suffer higher rates of abuse and neglect (2 times more likely)
than would occur if their mothers had delayed childbearing.
59


HIV & STIs
Jacksonville saw an 26% increase in reported HIV cases in 2012,
60
statewide we know that 17%
of all new HIV infections occur among youth under 25 years old.
61

Among adolescents living with HIV in Florida 69% are black, 24% are ages 13-19, 45% are gay
men, 24% contracted through heterosexual activity and 8% of adolescents living with HIV in FL
live, here, in Duval County.
62

In Florida, youth ages 15-24 represent 13% of the population, but account for 70% of reported
Chlamydia cases.
63

15-24 year olds in Florida are TWICE as likely than people over 25 to contract gonorrhea.
64

Nationally, 1 in 4 sexually active teens has an STI and 1 in 2 will contract an STI by age 25.
65



54
Trends in teen pregnancy and childbearing. (2013, April 29). US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health. Retrieved
May 14, 2013, from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/trends.html
55
Ibid
56
Ibid
57
Terry-Humen, E., Manlove, J., & Moore, K., Playing catch-up: How the children of teen mothers fare. 2005, National Campaign to Prevent
Teen Pregnancy: Washington, DC.
58
Wolfe, B., & Perozek, M., Teen children's health and health care use, in Kids having kids: Economic and Social Costs of Teen Pregnancy, R.
May-nard, Editor. 1997, The Urban Institute Press: Washington, DC.
59

60
JCCI Quality of Life Report
61
Fact Sheet 2012: HIV Disease among Adolescents (ages 13-19) and Young Adults (ages 20-24). (2012). Florida Department of Health. Retrieved
May 14, 2013, from http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/aids/updates/ facts/12Facts/2012_Adolescents_Young_Adults_Fact_Sheet.pdf
62
Fact Sheet Florida Department of Health
63
Sexually Transmitted Disease Section. (2012, November 20). Florida Department of Health. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Disease_ctrl/std/index.html
64
Ibid
65
Ibid
Shifting the Focus 37
Education & Employment
In Duval County only 68% of high school youth graduate on time.
66

In 2012, the national unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma was 12.4%
versus the US average of 6.8%.
67

Those without a high school diploma who are employed, earn about $471 per week, $344 less
than average pay for American workers.




















66
Meuller, S. (2011, September 9). Jacksonville businesses, nonprofit tackle school dropout rate. Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved May
14, 2013, from http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/print-edition/2011/09/09/jacksonville-businesses-nonprofit.html?page=all
67
Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Shifting the Focus 38