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Teen Outreach Program (TOP)
The need for pregnancy prevention among youth in DC is profound, and the city’s Ward 8 accounts for 30% of births to child mothers. SBY’s newest community-based initiative, the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is one way to address this problem.
SBY uses the rigorously evaluated TOP curricula and methodology to decrease the incidence of pregnancy among students of Ballou Senior High School. Our first year—2011—is devoted to planning, training, needs assessment, capacity-building and piloting TOP. During each subsequent service implementation year, 500 9th to 12th graders will be served through school-day sessions and through after-school programming at Ballou. The TOP model incorporates service learning and this project’s Community Service Manager will coordinate a wide range of service learning opportunities. Though all direct service and capacity building activities will be determined by needs assessment and planning processes and will be continuously modified to meet the emerging needs of youth to be served, SBY will focus on the provision of outcome-oriented, TOP model services which have demonstrated efficacy in reducing teen pregnancy risks while increasing civic engagement and improving students’ academic outcomes.