In a highly-competitive process, A Step Ahead Chattanooga (ASAC) was one of only eight subcontractors nationwide selected to participate in a project replicating evidence-based pregnancy prevention programs.
ASAC researched and adapted Healthy Teen Network’s highly-successful Power Through Choices program so that it would be applicable to teens in ASAC’s 11-county service area. The program educates youth ages 12 to 16 about the prevention of risky behaviors that result in HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancies.
Over a five-week period in June and July, ASAC implemented the first round of classes in coordination with its existing network of referral partner agencies. After the success of this pilot, ASAC looks forward to expanding and continuing the programming throughout its service area.
“Our mission is to provide education about and access to long-acting, reversible contraception for anyone who needs it,” said ASAC Board Chair, Sarah Ross. “The Power Through Choices program is another avenue to educate people about their options when planning whether and when they want to start a family.”
Executive Director Susan Vandergriff adds that the program is particularly important in this region. “Tennessee has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the United States. A young woman in Tennessee has only a 32% chance of graduating high school on time if she becomes pregnant while a student. She is also at a higher risk of an additional unintended pregnancy and of chronic poverty.”
The Power Through Choices curriculum consists of ten 90-minute sessions, held over a period of five weeks, with each class consisting of three to fifteen students. Class sizes were kept small and utilized social distancing and masking for the safety of students and educators. The program is easily adaptable to a virtual model for future sessions as needed. Each class session addresses a specific risk factor, such as understanding sexually transmitted infections, contraception options, and communicating clearly about personal choices. The overarching goal is to empower teenagers with the knowledge to make informed choices about their futures.
“We are excited to have been selected to share this unique program in the Chattanooga area because not only does it further our mission, but it also helps fill the void of comprehensive sex education in Tennessee,” says Vandergriff. “The Healthy Teen Network program consistently shows evidence-based, positive results.”
The initial offering of this program reached 125 teenagers. Partner organizations participating in the program included Bridge Chattanooga, the Bethlehem Center, The Heard, Net Resource Foundation, The Pearl Group, Reach One Teach One, and Youth of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
“This program is so important for the girls I serve,” said site partner Keosha Brewster of The Heard. “Many of them come from single parent households. I also have households represented that have absent mothers, and this program gives them education outside of school that will equip them in real life.”
“A Step Ahead has provided a fun and safe space for my girls to express their thoughts and concerns about sex,” Brewster goes on to say. “It is my hope that this program can expand to reach even more teens and empower them with the tools that they need to make sound decisions about their sexual health.”
ASAC serves Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties. For more information on ASAC’s mission and programs, call 423-752-5250 or visit AStepAheadChattanooga.org.
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