The purpose of the Promoting Science-Based Approaches to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (PSBA) program is to increase the capacity of state and local organizations such as schools, health clinics, community-based organizations, and other youth-serving organizations to use a science-based approach to prevent teen pregnancy (Definitions of Science-Based Approach, Science-based Program, and Promising Program.) To accomplish this goal, the program funds three national organizations, nine state teen pregnancy organizations and four Regional Training Centers that help state and local organizations build a set of identified capacities needed to use a science-based approach.

Program activities include

• Providing training and technical assistance to state coalitions and local organizations to increase their ability to use science-based approaches.
• Disseminating lessons learned and science-based information to organizations working with youth on the national, state, and local levels.

The program has developed a clear process for building the capacity of our national-, regional-, and state-level grantees. These grantees give tailored trainings and technical assistance to their local partners who deliver science-based teen pregnancy prevention programs at the community level. This process is called Promoting Science-Based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Using Getting to Outcomes (PSBA-GTO) 379-KB. It integrates the guidance and tools for program planning, implementation, and evaluation and is designed for the field of teen pregnancy prevention. We have a number of PSBA-GTO tools to assist our partners in this capacity building process.

State and National Teen Pregnancy Organizations

In 2002, CDC funded the cooperative agreement Coalition Capacity Building to Prevent Teen Pregnancy with three national organizations and five state teen pregnancy prevention coalitions. The purpose of this 3-year project was to build state and local capacity through the use of science-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy and promote adolescent reproductive health, including abstinence, and prevent Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Successes from this program included increasing grantee’s abilities to understand and advocate for science-based approaches, increasing grantee’s ability to develop logic models to improve program planning and evaluation, as well as increasing the number of youth participating in programs shown to successfully delay sexual debut and reduce teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. Building upon the successes of the previous cooperative agreement, in 2005 CDC funded a 5-year cooperative agreement with three national organizations and nine state organizations to continue the work to increase the capacity of local organizations to select, implement, and evaluate a science-based approach to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs in their communities.

Working with Schools

Many state organizations have been working with schools to implement proven teen pregnancy prevention curricula in middle and high schools, including working with parents about talking with their children to make healthy decisions.

CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health and Division of Adolescent and School Health are now working together to further strengthen important partnerships within shared grantee states. During the 2008–2009 school year, PSBA project grantees in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina will expand partnerships with the HIV coordinators in their state Departments of Education to build schools’ capacity to provide science-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.

The grantees are

• Advocates for Youth*
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy*
• Healthy Teen Network*

The state coalitions are strengthening the ability of state and local teen pregnancy prevention organizations to select, implement, and evaluate science-based programs that address local needs.

The grantees are

• CHT Resource Group*
• Colorado Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention*
• Hawaii Youth Services Network*
• Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy*
• Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting*
• Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention of North Carolina*
• South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy*
• Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy*
• Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy*

Regional Training Centers

To increase the ability of states and local communities to support such programs CDC’s Adolescent Reproductive Health Program funded a portion of the cooperative agreement Integrating HIV and Other Prevention Services into Reproductive Health and Community Settings, among four Regional Training Centers. This 5–year project, beginning in 2004, is intended to build capacity within communities to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs and promote adolescent reproductive health by providing technical assistance and training on using science-based approaches.

Funded sites include

• Region 1: JSI/New England Training Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (http://www.netcapp.jsi.com/)
• Region 3: Family Planning Council, Philadelphia*
• Region 5: Health Care Education and Training, Indianapolis*
• Region 10: The Center for Health Training: Seattle*

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Page last reviewed: 6/17/09
Page last modified: 6/17/09
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion