Thanks to generous funding provided by the Harold Edelstein Foundation, NHF empowers high-risk youth attending select schools in Los Angeles Unified School District to prevent a first or subsequent teen pregnancy and equip them with the tools to make healthy life choices, graduate from high school, and prepare for college or vocational achievement. In 2021, with support from youth consultants, NHF updated the curriculum to include Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) activities to increase youth engagement. This past 2022 program cycle (which includes the 2021-2022 school year), we provided our programs to 79 students from 3 different Los Angeles Unified School District high schools, hosted a virtual cohort, and expanded our partnerships with other youth-serving organizations.
Traditionally, NHF’s Be A STAR (Successful Teen Acting Responsibly) program is comprised of two school-based programmatic tracks, both incorporating individual services and peer group education to impart learning and improve students’ overall health, well-being and success in life. For a second time, we hosted a virtual cohort which was open to students across LA County. We expanded our partnerships to include the Anderson-Munger YMCA in the heart of Koreatown where youth could enroll as part of their free YMCA membership. The goal was the same – empower youth through weekly workshops to help each participant reach the following goals: (1) avoid an unwanted pregnancy, and (2) remain in school with the goal of graduation. NHF is grateful for the Harold Edelstein Foundation’s continued support of our work to improve the health of under-resourced communities. Through the Harold Cares Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs, NHF has had the privilege of serving a cumulative total of 1,450 students over the course of fourteen years, thereby setting them up for success in school and in life.
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