The name of the website is called ReCAPP or Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. The program name is BART, or Becoming a Responsible Teen. There was no clear developer name on the website besides the actual website name.
The target audience for this program is African American adolescents. The target age is 14-18 years old. This program was implemented in non-school based settings and the main purpose is to inform and educate these kids about the risks and effects of HIV.
They present different scenarios and role plays that will teach them factual and unbiased information about the disease, its transmission, and community-wide effects. Also, these interactive activities were all developed by teens, so they know how to relate to their intended audience.
They also address the sexual pressures put on kids these days and how they can healthily deal with them. Finally, they teach them vital life skills regarding decision making, problem-solving and more.
The curriculum consists of eight separate one and a half-to- two-hour sessions addressing different all of the different objectives listed above. This program not only provides them with this information, but they teach them the tools they need to properly use that information to make informed decisions in their life. It also builds social support within the program because through these role plays and group activities, bonds are being formed and trust is being built.
The results showed that kids who were in the intervention group were much less likely to participate in unprotected intercourse than the control group. If they were sexually active within a year after the intervention, they were more likely to use condoms and proper protection. Only 11.5% of the intervention group was sexually active within one year after the intervention. 31% of the control group was sexually active within one year after the program.
Also, the intervention group had higher scores on the AIDS knowledge test than the control. The kids in the intervention group were also more equipped with skills to deal with the pressures put on them at such a developmental age. The control group received only information about HIV/AIDS and not any interactive discussions or role-plays. There were surveys completed before the intervention, right after, six months after and twelve months after.
This was deemed an evidence-based program because it had positive, sustained results and it was shown through the results of the control group that there were no extraneous factors effecting the results.
I believe that this program was very successful at what it was trying to accomplish. It was able to teach kids valuable like skills through interaction and social lessons. I feel as though students always learn better when there is someone they can directly relate to, and an environment full of peers that are all under similar pressures can be very helpful at that pivotal age.
When there are so many different messages and opinions being put onto a young person, the pressures can get to be too much for them to handle healthily. This is a program that takes sex education and makes it a fun, interactive learning experience that brings adolescents closer to their other peers while also informing them and giving them more confidence to make decisions. I like that this program was done in the community and during adolescence because I feel as though that is a very difficult time in a kid’s life. Also, I feel as though most sexual activity doesn’t occur in schools. In class, Dr. Barr told us that a majority of teen pregnancy occurs during after-school hours. Thus, intervention in the community is vital because that is where a lot of these activities begin in a child’s life.
This activity was valuable because it allowed me to explore a lot of different evidence-based programs that already exist and research what resources we have available currently. It is interesting to read about the different views on learning and the different methods of teaching throughout the different programs and organizations.
