Making a DifferenceEngaging Youth in Health Promotion

Jolie PersonHSR1 – Canyon

Learner Centered Objectives

Participants will explain the benefit of Adult-Youth partnerships.

Participants will discuss the effectiveness of Youth Peer-to-Peer Teaching.

Participants will describe three approaches adults should incorporate to support the successful engagement of youth.

Video: Behind Closed Doors

What is Peer Education?

Peer education generally has meant that professionals –

whether educators, program managers, health care

providers, youth development specialists, or others – have decided to affect a target

population by harnessing the potential power of its peers.

[Shiner, 1999]

EffectivenessExtensive research, published in

the last two decades, has shown definitely and beyond question that peer programs can have statistically significant effects on attitudes, norms, knowledge, behaviors, and health and achievement outcomes.

More: Advocates for Youth

The Cone of Learning

Youth TodayBUILDERS

BOOMERS

GEN X GEN Y GEN Z

Born 1925-1945 1946-1964 1964-1979 1980-1994 1995-2009

Iconic Technology

Radio, 1923Talking Pictures, 1928

TV, 1956Audio Cassette, 1962Color TV, 1975

VCR, 1976Walkman, 1979IBM PC, 1981

Internet, Email, SMSingDVD, 1995PlayStation/Xbox

Wireless technologyMp3 playersPlasma and LCD screens

Children’s TV & Movies

Snow White and the Seven DwarfsThe Wizard of OzPeter Pan

PollyannaThe Shaggy DogSleeping Beauty

The Muppets ShowBenjiSesame Street

The Little MermaidTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesPower Rangers

Hi 5The WigglesShrek

The ABC of XYZ by Mark McCrindle

Youth TodayBUILDERS

BOOMERS

GEN X GEN Y GEN Z

Born Before 1945 1943-1960 1960’s-

1980’s 1983-1995 1990’s-

Social Markers & Landmark Events

Stock Market Crash, 1929Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

Neil Armstrong walks on the MoonVietnam War

Challenger explodesBerlin Wall downStock Market Crash, 1987

Columbine shootingsSeptember 11, 2001Invasion of Iraq

London BombingsHurricane KatrinaMichael Jackson dies

Historical Figures & Iconic Leaders

Sir Winston ChurchillMohandas Gandhi

Martin Luther King Jr.Superman

Mother Teresa of CalcuttaSpiderman

John Paul IISaddam Hussein

Benazir BhuttoBarack Obama

Youth Today - BuildersVALUESSaving, Patriotism, Loyalty, CommitmentATTITUDESBlack and white, Right and wrong, Don’t question authority figures, Don’t buy something until you have the money to pay for itLIFESTYLEExperienced hardship in early years and prosperity in later years, Saved first and bought later

PERSONALITYDistrust of change, stoic, reserved, pragmatic

Youth Today - BoomersVALUESWork Ethic, Questioning, Participation, Enthusiasm for causes, IndividualismATTITUDESFree education, free love and free (easy) divorce; If you are unhappy in a relationship, exit it; Organize live around work not work around life; Work your way to the topLIFESTYLEWorking longer and retiring later; Consumption and lifestyle take precedence; Many downsizing to release capital

PERSONALITYExperimental; Idealistic; Hard working; Visionary; Self Centered; Materialistic

Youth Today – Gen X’ersVALUESWork-life balance, Independence; Family before workATTITUDESNothing is permanent and Nothing is absolute; Trust no one, especially governments and employers; Seek the Truth; WhateverLIFESTYLEMarried in their late 20’s and early 30’s; Mortgage stress; In considerable debt; Living above their means

PERSONALITYReactive; Pessimistic; Innovative; Skeptical; Adaptable; Well grounded.

Youth Today – Gen Y’ersVALUES Fun & enjoyment; Tolerance of diversity; Social awareness; FriendshipATTITUDES Outcomes not processes; Enjoy the now; Organize work around life, not life around work; Why should I have to work my way to the top; Regarding respecting others “Whatever, Prove it!”LIFESTYLE Short term, Enjoyment before commitment; 75% are in debt; Juggling hectic work and social life; Friends are the new familyPERSONALITY Confident; Cynical; Assertive; Demanding; Sociable; Optimistic; Values Driven

Youth Today – Gen Z’ersVALUES - ATTITUDES – LIFESTYLE – PERSONALITY

EmpoweredTask-focusedMore options than everMost educated and provided-for generationMature beyond their yearsSophisticatedSerious

Why Youth Involvement?Youth provide insight into the teen

audienceYouth are credible influencers –

teachers, mentors, role models to their peers

Youth-to-youth is most effective way to communicate our message

Youth bring energy and enthusiasmYouth can infiltrate youth culturePrograms are youth-focused

Transitions in Youth EngagementFROM TO

Youth as problems to be fixed Youth as assets or agents of change

Through the Florida “truth” campaign, young people rebelled against tobacco industry manipulation.

Youth as tokens Youth as community partners

Tobacco Industry Gets Hammered by Teens (TIGHT) youth were given the opportunity to define their agenda in working with decision makers on youth access policies.

A focus on individual behavior change

A focus on community change

A mass media social norms marketing campaign at Virginia Commonwealth University tried to change students’ inaccurate perceptions of the percentage of their peers who smoked.

From CDC Best Practices in Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs User Guide. Youth Engagement: State and Community Interventions Category

Transitions in Youth EngagementFROM TO

A goal of education A goal of policy change

Product placement ordinances were successfully passed in Santa Fe, New Mexico following presentations and testimonies from student members of the Santa Fe Tobacco Free Coalition.

Adults as guides Adults as partners

Middle school students joined with the Healthy Maine Partnerships Coalition and successfully wrote to the town manager and board of selectmen, requesting that an area park be declared smoke-free with appropriate signage.

Fighting against smoking Fighting pro-tobacco influences

Young people from Teens Take on Big Tobacco protested and gained media attention at an Altria shareholder’s meeting in Richmond, Virginia.

From CDC Best Practices in Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs User Guide. Youth Engagement: State and Community Interventions Category

ChallengesNot always reliableDo not always fulfill

commitmentsSometimes don’t deliver a

complete effortDon’t always recognize our point

of view Reluctant to accept our direction,

guidanceSometimes show lack of caring Difficult to reach, communicate

with

In Depth…

1. Students Teaching AIDS to Youth

2. Peer Provider Reproductive Health Service

3. Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT)

4. Impact Futures Drug Free Community Coalition

1. Students Teaching AIDS to Youth (STAY)

• Current information about HIV/AIDS• The importance of sexual abstinence in adolescent

relationships• Refusal skills, negotiation skills and peer resistance skills

related to sexual health• Transmission and methods of prevention for sexually

transmitted disease (STD) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• Risk behaviors and situations involving possible exposure to HIV

• The relationships between injecting drug use (IDU) and contact with contaminated blood products and the transmission of HIV

• Evaluation of artificial means of birth control in preventing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases

2. Peer Provider Reproductive Health ServiceProgram Goals: To improve adolescents’ clinic utilization and to decrease risky sexual behaviors

Program Components: 1) Prior to medical services, intake session from peer providers focusing on: a) the reason for the visit; b) what to expect during a physical exam; c) importance of using condoms to prevent STIs; d) condom use demonstration; and e) answers to clients’ questions; 2) follow-up telephone calls to each female client; 3) two-person teams providing group outreach to adolescents in schools and to male youth in community settings; and 4) where possible, separate teen entrance, waiting room and counseling rooms or, if necessary, designated hours for peer providers to use adult spaces

Findings: Increased use of contraception, Increased use of health care, Reduced incidence of pregnancy.

3. Students Working Against Tobacco

3. Students Working Against TobaccoMISSIONTo Empower and Unite Youth to Resist and Expose Big Tobacco’s Lies while Changing Current Attitudes about Tobacco.

PROCESSYouth Empowerment is the process by which SWAT youth become active participants in the planning and implementation of activities within their state and local communities.

FINDINGSChanges in attitudes and beliefs, as well as an increase of knowledge, skills and confidence to encourage change among others.

PURPOSETo raise awareness about tobacco industry marketing practices that target youth as replacement smokers. To provide youth with opportunities for “real-life” learning experiences through mentoring, training, community assessment, and grassroots activism.

Peer Led Education - Tar Wars

Tar Wars is a tobacco-free education program for 4th & 5th grade students. Consists of a pre-activity

exercise, a 1-hour classroom presentation (conducted by SWAT youth), and a follow-up poster contest

More: www.tarwars.org

Peer Led Education - Tar Wars

Operation Storefront / Tobacco Teardown

Youth teams inspect local

stores (inside & outside) to

document tobacco product

placement and marketing.

Helps to identify if tobacco is

placed to attract children,

invite shoplifters, and to see

if certain brands are more

available (targeted) in low

income neighborhoods.

Operation Storefront / Tobacco Teardown

Tobacco Teardown involves

youth working with the

store owner to remove

tobacco advertising and

‘beautifying’ the

establishment.

Policy Change• 24/7 Tobacco Free School Policy• Smoke Free Parks

Reward Reminder VisitsReward Reminder Visits are supervised visits that

involve sending adults and minors into a community in an attempt to educate tobacco

retailers about federal and state statutes concerning youth access to tobacco.

1200 Lives are lost to tobacco each day in the United States

Youth Engagement

Youth Engagement

4. Impact Futures

Video Spot: Sticker Shock - Impact Teens

Building Partnerships with Youth1. Motivation (getting youth to be

involved and excited about the opportunity to be involved with your program)

2. Capacity (giving youth tools & skills to take action)

3. Opportunity (showing youth how to apply their skills to real life situations)

Structured for SuccessEmpower us by helping us learn how to

make decisions. Don’t make all the decisions for us.

Recognize our need for teens to educate other teens on the real problems and real issues.

Give us resources for our members so we can work and bring awareness to our communities.

Encourage us to be innovative and help us to become activists through empowerment, knowledge and skill building.

Structured for SuccessBe positive mentorsHelp us create partnerships among

communities, schools, youth, organizations, health organizations, and government

Recognize our cultural diversity and maintain respect for our cultural traditions

Recognize individual and community rights to make their own decisions

Recognize the need and be prepared to help us move as conditions change

Lessons LearnedMembers like to do more than just talk.Conduct activities on a regular basis and

let others know about them.Plan, Plan, Plan and give yourself plenty

of time.Assign a task with a deadline to each

person on the team.The more a member is involved, the

more ownership they will have.Written action plans are especially

helpful.

Just a few ideas to involve youth… Campaigns: Traffic Safety Month, “Not texting and driving”,

Immunization campaign, Heat stroke/sunburn/water safety campaigns

Youth contest created by youth (poster, video, social media) - have youth select winners Have youth create an injury prevention presentation Healthy recipe development for families to reduce childhood obesity Health and safety education for parents or staff Educate Head Start staff on road safety Create flyers or handouts for participants Bulletin boards Evaluation (Parent pickup lane at Elementary School, city

intersection, ) Mentoring Program Advisory Council Have youth speak to County Commissioners and County Judges

about policy change Conduct needs assessment Education children in after school programs

Helpful Resourceswww.NOYS.orgwww.ChildrensSafetyNetwork.orgwww.fcclainc.orgwww.bacchusnetwork.orgwww.advocatesforyouth.orgwww.sadd.comwww.advocatesforyouth

(working with youth > peer education)

Thank you!

Jolie PersonTexas Department of State Health Services

Health Service Region 1

Maternal and Child Health Program

Canyon, Texas

jolie.person@dshs.state.tx.us

806-477-1138