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Thank You!

As you may know, the NC Youth Connected initiative is ending prematurely on June 30th, 2018 due to federal funding cuts at the Office of Adolescent Health.  Despite the premature ending, we have made great strides in each community. In this newsletter we share the progress made to date. 

We deeply value our local partners and have worked with them to sustain critical work moving forward. On behalf of the NCYC team at SHIFT NC we want to offer you our sincerest thank you for your dedication, support, and partnership over the years! We encourage you all to continue working to give young people medically accurate information and empower them to make decisions that help them grow up healthy. SHIFT NC isn't going anywhere, please continue to stay in touch and connected. Thank you. 


~ Bianka, Amanda, Tania, Janae', and Madison
Total Youth Reached through NCYC 

The NCYC initiative conducted programming in two communities (Cumberland and Wayne County), with six different partner organizations, offering 11 different evidence-based programs. Over the course of the project, partners implemented 132 cycles of programming (64 different community groups, and 68 different sixth and seventh grade classes receiving programming). In all, the NCYC initiative enrolled 4,439 youth in evidence-based programming. A majority of youth enrolled were in public schools, however, well over 800 youth were reached in community programs at various locations including recreation centers, youth-serving organizations, health clinics, faith organizations, juvenile detention facilities, and institutions of higher learning.
Who Did NCYC Serve?

NCYC reached diverse groups of youth with evidence-based programming over the course of the initiative. 
Training for Youth-Serving Professionals

The NCYC initiative conducted several trainings over the course of the project to build the capacity of youth-serving professionals to deliver teen pregnancy prevention programs effectively and link youth to health care services in the community. Trainings topics included curricula trainings, referrals to health care services, and creating safe and supportive environments for students. 
 
Activity
Number of Professionals Trained/Reached
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total
Curricula training
3
32
61
96
Clinic referrals and linkages training
12
23
0
35
Safe & supportive enviro. training
0
0
310
310
Total
15
55
371
441
Note: Several youth-serving professional received multiple trainings or supplemental/booster trainings which are not reflected in this table.
Community Outreach and Mobilization

The NCYC team, health educators, youth and advisory group members participated in different community outreach and mobilization events throughout the three years of the initiative to raise awareness about teen pregnancy and the programs available for youth. Outreach included radio promotions, resource fairs, back-to-school nights, university campus outreach, and presentations to community leaders and community organizations. In total, 2,932 young people and adults were reached across the three years! 

April is STD Awareness Month

April is STD Awareness Month and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are spreading the message of Treat Me Right. For providers, this means fostering a trusting patient-provider relationship to ensure that young people are correctly diagnosed and treated. For young people, this means knowing how to directly ask their provider for the care that they need and deserve. For more information about the state of STDs across the country, click here. And join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #TreatMeRight. 

For teens in North Carolina, they can check out the Teen Playbook to find their nearest teen friendly clinic to receive testing and treatment options. 

If you are a parent in Cumberland County, the NCYC team will be sharing data and talking about how parents can discuss these topics with their teens on Wednesday, April 25th at 7pm at the Meyers Recreation Center. Registration is almost full, but please email Amanda Fritts at [email protected] with any questions! 
May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and the NCYC Initiative will be highlighting the voices of health educators who are resources and advocates for youth in their community. 

Why do we work on teen pregnancy prevention? Because adolescent health matters!

Follow us on Facebook during the month of May to hear from health educators, young people, and community members. Join the conversation with #voicesofNCYC!
NC Youth Connected on Facebook

NC Youth Connected will be posting regularly on everything related to teen pregnancy prevention, adolescent sexual health, and local programs in Cumberland and Wayne Counties. Stay up-to-date by liking our page today.

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  NC Youth Connected | [email protected] | www.ncyouthconnected.org

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