Our Leaders | Project for Teens

P4T Leaders

Dynamic and Positive Role Models

Goals:

Promote healthy/responsible decision-making among younger age peers
Provide accurate information about healthy relationships
Support the “norm” that it is OK to say “no” to peer pressure
Provide students with the education and tools needed to make healthy decisions

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What We Do?

P4T is a peer to peer education program that involves approximately 180 10-12th grade students from five Greater Mankato area high schools: East, West, Loyola, St. Peter, and Lake Crystal. They interview with the program director and school advisors to become P4T Peer Leaders, and if selected, attend a one-day training with their fellow peer leaders where they discuss various topics including healthy relationships, consent, sexual education, vaping, drugs/alcohol, body image and bullying. Once trained, peer leaders share these messages that promote healthy decision making with fifth–eighth graders through various methods including small group discussions, skits and role-playing. Community discussions and presentations are provided as well.

Why Project for Teens?

The 2013 Minnesota Student Survey, which was completed by public school students in grades 5, 8, 9, and 11 from across the state, provides some important state-wide, regional, and local data:

Across the state, 17% of ninth grade males and 13% of ninth grade females report having had sexual intercourse. For students who did report having sexual intercourse, over 35% of ninth grade males and 30% females have never talked to their partner about protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.
Regionally: A lower percentage of ninth grade students in southwest and south central Minnesota —16% (male) and 15% (female)—report having sexual intercourse. However, higher percentages of male students (40%) have never talked to their partner about protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.
7% of eighth-grade males and 17% of eighth-grade females have been bullied at least once a month through e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites, or texting.

Research cited in A Work In Progress v.2: Building a Minnesota State Plan for Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting (Center for Adolescent Health and Development, University of MN; 2003) notes that “peer relationships create both protective and risk factors. Teens continually and mutually influence each other, in both positive and negative ways. Youth who think their peers are sexually active have a greater risk of teen pregnancy then their counterparts.”

P4T Peer Leaders seek to foster a climate of respect and sense of connection among younger-age peers, to reinforce the notion that it is OK to say “no” to sexual activity, and to provide information/tools to prepare youth for situations that may put them “at risk”.

Project for Teen’s focus on teen pregnancy prevention has its roots in the early years of our organization when community members took action to address a significantly high rate of teen pregnancy, with particular concern about pregnancy involving younger-age teens. Ongoing evaluation and reflection efforts by Project for Teens’ Board of Directors (whose members represent a diverse range of community organizations/interests) have served to solidify its commitment to this focus area.

Quotes from 6th–8th Graders:

“I learned that there are emotional and legal consequences for making bad choices such as losing trust and respect with your parents and teachers. You are also at risk for getting a bad reputation with your peers. Project for Teens provided me with tools I can use to make healthy delicious.”
“I have new role models to look up to now that Project for Teens presented to us. I like that these high school students have overcome things in junior high and are now leaders in their schools. I want to be part of this program when I get to high school.”
“I learned that a healthy relationship is about communication and consent. Being in a good relationship is about respecting each other. I liked that Project for Teens talked to us about what healthy relationships look like.”
“My superpower is being brave. I know I can use this superpower when faced in peer pressure situations or to help someone when they are being bullied. I chose to be an Upstander and not a bystander.”

Quotes from Peer Leaders:

“Project for Teens has taught me life-long leadership skills that I will use to be successful in life.”
“Being a part of Project for Teens has helped my self-esteem and self-confidence after being bullied in my early youth. I am so grateful for this program.”
“Instead of middle school kids looking up to celebrities, they can look up to us. We show middle school kids that we are a smart and healthy group of individuals choosing to make safe healthy decisions.”