Health Connected

Results: During the 2009-2010 school year: Total students served by Teen Talk: 3296 Total number of schools served by Teen Talk: 25 Total number of classes served by Teen Talk: 124 100% of teachers surveyed reported they would welcome Teen Talk back to their classroom. 98% of students reported on their student evaluation that “the information I learned from the program will make it easier for me to practice safer sex now or in the future.” 94% of students reported, “After the program, I would feel more comfortable accessing services at a clinic.” 100% of teacher attending the teacher training program said they would recommend it to others.

Target demographics: Youth 12yrs - 18 yrs, teachers, parents

Direct beneficiaries per year: 3300

Geographic areas served: Primarily San Mateo County

Programs: Teen Talk: An eight to ten-hour comprehensive sexuality education curriculum designed to reduce teen pregnancy, HIV/STD rates in our community. The program is provided by trained health educators, in health or biology classes (7th – 12th grade). The Teen Talk comprehensive sexuality education curriculum is medically accurate and free of racial and ethnic bias and addresses human development, relationships, sexual health, sexual behavior and personal skill development. It covers all topics from abstinence through contraception and STD/HIV. Teacher Training Program: The Comprehensive Sexuality Education and HIV/AIDS Prevention Act (Ed Codes 51930-51939), states that if your school provides sexuality education, it must be comprehensive sexuality education and be provided by TRAINED TEACHERS. TTSE provides comprehensive sexuality interactive trainings for teachers and health professionals working with youth ages 9-18. The goal of our trainings is to increase knowledge, skills and comfort to those teaching comprehensive sexuality education to students of different ages. We also strive to promote medically accurate, age-appropriate information. These training cover best practices in teen pregnancy and STD prevention; focusing on CA Education Code (51930-51939) and the newly adopted Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools, within the Growth, Development, and Sexual Health area. Continuing Education Units available. Teen Parent Panel: As part of Teen Talk, TTSE's comprehensive sexuality education program, TTSE has developed the Teen Parent Panel (TPP) Program to educate youth that participate in Teen Talk about the realities of teen pregnancy/parenthood. The teen parent panels are facilitated discussions comprised of trained pregnant and parenting teen speakers. Most of our teen speakers are from Redwood and Baden High Schools and receive a small stipend for their presentations. Plain Talk: Our Plain Talk program gives parents/guardians the tools they need to address a variety of issues that are a part of puberty and sexuality. Our workshops are offered in both English and Spanish in a variety of settings. The Plain Talk curriculum is flexible and can be provided over a shorter or longer time frame. Typically the program is 2 - 4 hours and is developed to specifically meet the needs of parents/guardians of children many different ages. While comprehensive, age-appropriate and medically accurate sex education in school is important, there is no substitute for communication between families.