The R.E.A.C.H. Collaborative Partnership
- The R.E.A.C.H. Collaborative Program Initiative
- R.E.A.C.H. Goals
- R.E.A.C.H. Partners
- R.E.A.C.H. Youth Development and Arts-Based Programs and Intervention Highlights
The REACH Collaborative Program Initiative
In 2002, five organizations with programs firmly grounded in the community came together to
help address the disparity of teen pregnancy among African-American adolescents, and launched
the R.E.A.C.H. Initative. These organizations were: The Annex Teen Clinic, Kwanzaa Nia-Imani
Youth and Family Development Center of Kwanzaa Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis Beacons Project
and Network (through the YWCA & YMCA of Minneapolis), North Community YWCA, and Call To Action.
Serving as technical advisor to the project is the Healthy Youth Development/Prevention
Research Center, housed at the University of Minnesota.
In the past years since the REACH initiative started, The YWCA Beacons Network project
site was located at Franklin Jr. High School in North Minneapolis. It is currently
located at City View Performing Arts School in North Minneapolis.
The YMCA Beacons Network project is located at Nellie Stone Johnson School in North Minneapolis.
The REACH Collaborative Initiative has touched over 8000 youth and families since it was launched.
R.E.A.C.H. Goals
To provide an intergenerational program that gives African-American youth in North
Minneapolis positive experiences that enhance their assets, support their reproductive
health, and reduce risk behaviors.
To provide effective education on reproductive health that is age and culturally
appropriate and involves parent/guardian/committed adults.
To increase access for African-American youth living in North Minneapolis to youth
development activities, sexual health education, and community engagement.
R.E.A.C.H. Partners
One of the benefits of collaborations is the existence of multiple "access points"
into services or programs. Each of the R.E.A.C.H. partners has their own unique approach
to recruiting participants. We use each partners existing relationships with families
to recruit participants for our EHDI programming. We also recruit through school
presentations and peer-based street outreach.
The Annex Teen Clinic is the Lead Organization for the Collaborative and
provides expertise on sexual health issues. The Annex Teen Clinic is the leading provider
of sexually-related
health care, birth control, counseling, education, and outreach to adolescents and young
adults in North Minneapolis and Northwest Hennepin County. The Annex Staff provides adolescent
sexual health education
for youth in the Beacons sites, Kwanzaa Nia-Imani Center, and other school and community
programs in North Minneapolis. The Annex Staff also provides education for parents of youth
in partner programs about adolescent development, puberty, and family communication about
sexual health and pregnancy prevention.
Kwanzaa Nia-Imani Youth and Family Development Center of Kwanza Presbyterian Church
is an Afro-centric program. The purpose of the Nia-Imani
Center is to increase the productive capacity of African-American families in the
Hawthorne/Jordan neighborhood by engaging youth and families in meaningful, celebratory,
empowering, cultural, spiritual, and educational activities. Kwanzaa Staff provides
audio/video production training and arts-based programming, including drama, music,
and spoken word production for the R.E.A.C.H. collaborative.
The mission of the North Community YMCA is to develop the whole person
through programs that build strong
children, strong families and strong communities. The YMCA works with individuals as assets,
not clients, as contributors, not problems. The YMCA has a commitment to reinvigorate
our communities. The North Community Branch of the YMCA has been serving North Minneapolis
since 1974. It offers youth a host of programs designed to give them positive experiences
that will contribute to their healthy development and leadership development.
YWCA Beacons Network Project at City View School and YWCA Beacons Network Project
at Nellie Stone Johnson School
The Minneapolis Beacons Project is a partnership of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis,
the YWCA of Minneapolis, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Public
Schools Community Education, and the Youth Coordinating Board.
The Beacons Project is
based on a successful model developed in New York in the early 1990's, in which
schools in low-income neighborhoods partner with a lead non-profit agency to
implement comprehensive after-school programming by coordinating existing youth services.
Healthy Youth Development/Prevention Research Center is a division of General
Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota and is
funded by the Center for Disease Control. The Center serves as a consultant/technical
advisor to the R.E.A.C.H partners to help assure that the partners are utilizing youth
development strategies to help reduce teen pregnancy that are firmly grounded in
scientific evidence of best practice and high potential for success.
R.E.A.C.H. Youth Development and Arts-Based Programming
REACH Peer Education and Leadership Development Program
The Annex Teen Clinic REACH Peer Education and Leadership Development program is a
culturally specific curriculum-based and youth engagement opportunity program designed for
African American teens, ages 14-19, who want to become knowledgeable
about sexual health topics, and share the information with their friends and families.
Peer Educators learn about sexual health topics including anatomy, abstinence, birth
control, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, healthy relationships and many other
topics.
What is the Purpose of Peer Education?
1. To give teenagers factual information about sexual health topics
2. To provide formal and informal opportunities for youth to educate their peers
3. To empower young people to be advocates for themselves and other youth around the issues
of sexual health.
North High School Life Skills Health Education and Awareness Workshops
A Project produced by the Annex Teen Clinic and Kwanzaa Nia-Imani for North High to help
engage the Life Skills program students in a creative educational learning experience that
empowers them to make healthy informed decisions around sexuality, sexual health issues,
and other life choices.
Teen Mom Child Spacing Program
The Teen Mom Child Spacing program is sponsored by the Annex Teen Clinic and is designed
to educate first time teen mothers on how to prevent/postpone a second pregnancy until
they are financially able. It is offered at schools and community organizations.
Did you know...?
19 TEENS IN MINNESOTA GET PREGNANT EACH DAY
25% OF TEEN MOTHERS GET PREGNANT AGAIN WITH IN ONE YEAR
10 to 20% OF TEEN PREGNANCIES ARE PLANNED
Women's Worth Talk Show & Media Literacy Program at Broadway School
This program is an extension of our work with teen moms at Broadway school. It was created
to address the issues that teen moms face on a day to day basis. The program offers video
training by allowing the participating teens to create an individual video documentary
telling their story of what it is like to be a teen mom.
Other Programming & Intervention Highlights Include:
Youth Produced Voices of the Community CD - A collection of voices from the community on
the topics of teen pregnancy, teen fatherhood, and sexual responsibility
CD production technical training and experience for youth
Hip Opera Theatre Skits
Intergenerational Poetry Slam
"SISTAS" Girls Club Project for girls ages 11-18
Annual R.E.A.C.H Community Outreach Block Party
For more information on R.E.A.C.H. programs, please contact:
Theresa Evans Ross
R.E.A.C.H. Programs Director
Annex Teen Clinic
4915 42nd Avenue North
Robbinsdale, MN 55422
(763) 533-1316 x. 108
Theresa (at) annexteenclinic.org