May 9, 2000

The R.E.A.L. project is working hard this month (Teen Pregnancy Prevention month), as it does every month, to prevent teen pregnancy in Stanislaus County.

Responsibility, Education, Attitude and Leadership make the project work. Patterson has been identified as a "hot spot" for teen pregnancy, and so the county Health Services Agency has brought numerous programs to this area.

Previously discussed were Circulo de Hombres, a weekly program that is based on the indigenous concept of el hombre noble (the noble man) and palabra (credible , word). Speaking Clearly, which works with parents on talking to teens and parenting skills. Postponing Sexual Involvement, Teen Outreach Program, and Straight Talk.

The Muir Trail Girl Scout Council subcontracts with the R.E.A.L. project, and a representative works with pregnant and parenting teams at Patterson's Del Puerto High School.

MENTORING AT PHS

The Center for Human Services also subcontracts with the project, and provide a group mentoring and drop-in center at Patterson High School. The center is open three afternoons a week. Two of those days are reserved for teens to come by and talk, do homework, or computer lab work.

The other afternoon is devoted to a more structured curriculum in which students improve skills in goal setting and problem solving: According to Jamie Turner, Prevention Specialist the CSS, three mentors from the Patterson community currently volunteer.

"We try to make activities where the students can learn decision making, goal setting, cultural awareness, and job shadowing", Turner commented. "It's a time to be able to provide support for the kids".

COMMUNITY OF CARING

The program is known to PHS students at CHAMPS: Committed, Healthy, Active, Mentoring Partnerships.

Community of Caring has been doing similar work. Judy Thorkelson is the Coordinator for the Patterson Unified School District's Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Grant.

The district was one of 7 in the state to receive funding for TPP. The district selected two strategies to work with. One is the Community of Caring, and the other is SMART MOVES.

Community of Caring is a values-based education program. Through it, destructive attitudes which often lead to premature sexual involvement as well as other problems are addressed.

FIVE VALUES

The program, Thorkelson said, is built around five core values, Family, Caring, Responsibility, Respect, and Trust, and includes five components, teacher and staff training, values discussions, student forums, parent involvement and community service training.

Teachers and staff learn to incorporate discussion of the values into existing textbook materials, athletics and other everyday school activities.

SMART MOVES is a prevention program designed to reduce teen and preteen vulnerability to the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and for becoming sexually active. It targets gateway drugs and teenage pregnancy through strong postponement messages, life planning, and assertiveness techniques.

HOLISTIC VIEW

Thorkelson believes that everyone has a place in teen pregnancy prevention. Schools, religious leaders and parents must all work together, the solution is holistic.

Today's youths are bombarded with images that promote sexual involvement everywhere they go. "It's hard to compete with MTV," she noted.

This is the fourth year of the TPP grant, and it has one more year. It is the only one in the county, said Thorkelson, and the parental involvement is growing. "Everybody needs to be involved in teen pregnancy prevention."

Reprinted by permission of The Patterson Irrigator.