“Youth Making Proud Choices helps teens feel comfortable asking important questions. Project Youth OC is a safe place. I have learned a lot and now I know I can be safe in the future.“
– Program participant
“Youth Making Proud Choices helped me to be much more aware of STIs. Before I’d only worried about not getting my girlfriend pregnant. But now I make sure to wear a condom to protect myself and my girlfriend.“
– Program participant
Group-level comprehensive sex education programs for at-risk youth, aged 12-18. Our goal is to promote and improve the sexual and reproductive health of high-need youth populations.
Consists of nine 1-hour modules facilitated by trained health educators.
Program curriculum adheres to Californian Education Codes and the CA Healthy Youth Act.
Project Youth OC’s comprehensive sex education program Youth Making Proud Choices! goal is to provide sexual health education to adolescents via effective, evidence-based program models, Making Proud Choices (MPC). This includes instruction on abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
¡Cuídate! which means “take care of yourself,” is a culturally-based, group-level intervention program. Currently being funded by the California Department of Public Health under their CA Personal Responsibility Education Program (CAPREP).
Youth Making Proud Choices is a culturally-based, group-level intervention program but with an emphasis on substance abuse prevention. Currently being funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA).
Youth Making Proud Choices provides STI/HIV/AIDS knowledge, condom negotiation, refusal of sex, and correct condom use skills are taught through interactive games, group discussion, role-plays, video, music, and mini-lectures. The program is free and program delivery can be held during school hours, after school or evening hours.
Why We Offer This Program
Latino youth are disproportionately represented in Orange County’s social service, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems and are particularly vulnerable to STI’s and teen pregnancy.
Overall, Orange County has one of the lower teen birth rates of 9.9 in California. Despite this, the high teen birthrate among Latinas ages 15-19 in Santa Ana far exceeds all other high-risk cities in the county (CDPH, 2017)
Over the past ten years, the STI rate among youth has increased drastically in Orange County. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia cases are at the highest levels in 30 years and continue to increase:
(*Ochealthier.org)
Contact Frances Torres for more information with Youth Making Proud Choices! program.
We greatly appreciate any new support we can gain. If you are interested in making a donation, please contact our Associate Director, Nancy Garcia, at (714) 480-1925, ext. 108 or nancy@pyoc.org.