Celebrating Success: Reflections on the CORE Grant Program

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One of the greatest benefits of the CORE grant program is that it carries forward best practices and lessons learned among SBHCs who have worked to establish and enhance adolescent social and sexual health services across Oregon. As we prepare to launch the next round of CORE grants, OSBHA reflects upon and celebrates the successes of the 2013-2014 CORE grantees.    
 

                          

Bethel Health Center – Lane County

The Bethel Health Center worked to increase positive connections and caring relationships among students at Willamette High School through the Power Up! Program and the Bethel Teen Health Council.   


Power Up! Program

9 high school students participated in a 10-week Power Up! program.  Power Up! connected girls ages 14-18 with organizations such as Ophelia’s Place and Planned Parenthood, while creating a safe space for young women to develop supportive relationships with SBHC staff who engaged participants in building healthy decision-making skills related to their physical, sexual, and emotional health.

                          

Bethel Teen Health Council

Bethel’s Teen Health Council planned and led a school-wide self-defense workshop that emphasized personal safety awareness, increased self-esteem and self-confidence among youth, and reduced fear of violence. Bethel Teen Council members also attended Awareness Day, a civic engagement and training opportunity that connected youth with key community stakeholders who care about helping youth advance their goals. When one Bethel Teen Council member spoke of her interest in going into the medical field during her legislative visit on Awareness Day, Representative Val Hoyle offered to help facilitate a ride in an ambulance. As the Teen Council Coordinator reflected, “the offer of assistance deeply touched this young woman and I believe helped her to feel her dreams were within reach and that there were people around her willing to help her achieve them.”  The Teen Council Coordinator utilized Awareness Day to invite Senator Edwards to visit the Bethel Health Center to learn more about the services available to young people at school-based health centers. As a result, Senator Edwards toured the SBHC in May and discussed the importance of collaborating with the Community Health Clinics.

Sacagawea Health Center - Columbia County

Youth Research Project
 
The Sacagawea Health Center provided adolescents at St. Helens High School easily accessible and non-invasive opportunities to learn about healthy relationships and safe sexual practices.  Specifically, this grant supported the Teen Health Advocacy Team (THAT Club) improve their communication, education, and involvement with their high school peers, as it relates to adolescent social and sexual health. In the fall of 2013, the THAT club distributed a school-wide survey to determine what healthy youth relationship topics were of greatest interest to the student population. In total, 20% (N=196) of the St. Helens High School population participated in the survey.
 
School-Wide Health Fair and Community Workshops

Data was used to plan a school-wide health fair, “That’s Healthy”, to provide information focusing on safer sex, pregnancy, and healthy relationships in January. TransActive Gender Center, Support Advocacy Freedom Empowerment (SAFE) of Columbia County, and Legacy Health tabled at the health fair, which was attended by about 300 students. THAT club members also utilized data from the school-wide survey to organize a series of “That’s Healthy” workshops for students at St. Helens High School. Each workshop focused on one of the following topics: safer sex/condom use, STIs/STDs, pregnancy prevention and prenatal care, and healthy relationships/relationship abuse.
 
 
Union & La Grande Health Centers - Union County
 
Healthy Relationships 101: Things to Know Before You Say Go
 
Building upon the success of their 2012-2013 PIP grant-funded project, the Center for Human Development, Inc. provided classroom lessons to 169 students in healthy relationships, bullying awareness, dating violence, and age-appropriate interventions at Union and La Grande high schools. SBHC staff noted a significant impact on youth involved with the curriculum. As one Health Teacher at La Grande High School later reported back to SBHC staff, “After the lesson ‘Stages of Relationships’, I had a student come and talk to me after school about how she felt uncomfortable about how her relationship had become so sexual with her boyfriend. She felt that the group she ran with had a cavalier attitude about sex and really no moral issues with multiple partners. She was taken aback at the class discussion on how many of her peers were abstinent or limiting sexual activity. We discussed building boundaries for herself in her relationship and how to ‘take a step backward’. She was able to have a great discussion with her boyfriend and change the pace of their relationship”. In addition to having a significant impact upon the students who participated in the Healthy Relationships 101 project, this CORE grant helped strengthen collaboration between SBHC staff and school partners such as health teachers and school administrators. Further, it elevated the visibility of the school-based health centers at Union and La Grande High Schools among students, staff, and community members.

Student Artwork Contest

 
                                      

All students completed a creative project related to the Things to Know Before You Say Go curriculum. Projects included pencil drawings, paintings, collage posters, short stories, poems, sculptures, needlepoint, and videos. These projects were displayed in February in an art show on the campus of each school in conjunction with parent/teacher conferences or a sporting event, as well as the grand opening of the Farmer’s Market in May of 2014.

Century Health Center - Washington County 

HYR Learning Series and Community Workshops

The Century Health Center empowered youth with skills to adopt healthy behaviors and maintain healthy relationships. SBHC and Century staff conducted a learning series on healthy relationships targeting all students at Century High School. A total of 4 workshops were held during lunch in April. These workshops were led by Century High School’s Youth and Family Therapists. The topics addressed: power and control/healthy relationships, media presentations of consent, equality in relationships, communication skills, and relating through difference. Activities were designed to reach a wide variety of students, including high-risk students as well as those without identified risk. Evening workshops were hosted by Raphael House, the Q Center, and the Domestic Violence Resource Center to help decrease risk for relationship abuse among students. Workshops were open to all students and parents affiliated with Century High School. 


                                              
 

School-Wide HYR Social Marketing Campaign

Century High School students developed a social marketing campaign with educational materials focused on healthy relationships.  The Gay-Straight Alliance at Century High School planned a healthy youth relationship social marketing campaign to help build self-confidence, healthy relationships amongst peers, increase support for students, and create a safe school environment for LGBTQ youth. To market and promote the campaign, they distributed rubber bracelets and t-shirts school-wide, conducted a poster campaign with student quotes about healthy relationships, and promoted the healthy youth relationship learning series.  Some responses to the quotes on the “I am an ally because…” wall included, “I am a victim of bullying”, “I care about my community”, and “everyone deserves respect and dignity”. By creating a safe space to discuss and address healthy youth relationships, including LGBTQ relationships, the students at Century High School helped establish and strengthen positive connections between students and community members.  “Our goal was to serve as the bridge between Century and community strengthening. By addressing healthy relationship issues, we gave students a space to convey what a support system looks like for them.” 

As we look forward to our next year of CORE grant funding, OSBHA is excited to glean new knowledge of how best to initiate and strengthen adolescent sexual health services and healthy youth relationship programming offered by SBHCs.

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