Our Great Choices (GrC) pregnancy prevention/dating violence prevention program for high risk young men and women offers support groups (8 weeks long) for high-risk teens and will oversees the teen pregnancy prevention peer educator program. Peer educators become knowledgeable in teen dating violence prevention, STD and pregnancy prevention strategies, building healthy relationships, and understanding how cultural values may impact teen decision-making. This model has proven to be highly effective in both outreach and youth leadership development.
Our peer educators gain meaningful leadership opportunities, job skills readiness, and serve as peer mentors as well as bring an authentic youth voice for needed change within a highly vulnerable population. Long-term, Youth Alliance is committed to being an advocate for collaborative efforts including the increase of financially stable youth social services in San Benito and South Santa Clara Counties. In an effort to reduce the number of teen pregnancies within San Benito and South Santa Clara Counties, YA’s goal is to reach 300 youth ages 12 – 18 by providing a series of interactive workshops and trainings to inform youth on the consequences of teen dating violence, STD’s, and teen pregnancy. Additionally, these workshops will highlight the values that influence our decision making, and arm the youth with the tools they need to attain positive healthy relationships using the evidence-based educational curriculum Cuidate! and Love is not Abuse.