Project Description Narrative:
In Milwaukee, there are significant health and safety risks faced by low-income African-American teens. The city is home to the second-highest rate of teen pregnancy in the nation and the fourth-highest child poverty rate among more than 70 other large U.S. cities. Additionally, 90% of Milwaukee Public Schools high school youth have engaged in one or more risky behaviors, and 70% are currently engaged in such behaviors.
The PEARLS for Teen Girls High Risk Intervention will address risk factors by building girls’ internal capacities for communication, critical thinking, goal setting, and decision-making while increasing their access to health-related information and healthcare resources. The program will focus on students enrolled at Silver Spring Academy, an alternative idle school attended by students only admitted if they have experienced failure in a traditional public school setting.
Through this project, 60 girls will participate in a three-year program involving twice-weekly meetings as part of their regular school day, where they will learn and practice skills supporting critical decision-making about education, sex, substance abuse, and taking ownership of their life choices. Girls will set personal development goals that will help them grow into physically and emotionally healthy individuals prepared to take on life’s challenges.
Community partners: Family Leadership Academy, Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, Silver Spring Community Nursing Center, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Urban Community Development, and UWM College of Nursing-Institute for Urban Health Partnerships