Peer Leadership Prevention Education and Parent Involvement Program

The Prevention Partnership, Inc. is a Chicago based non-profit agency which delivers comprehensive prevention and health promotion services, with a special focus on alcohol and other drug use, violence, gangs, AIDS and dropouts. Our services respond to the unique needs of your school and community through cost-effective, high impact programs. These trainings have more than eleven years of evaluations from Jack Kavanagh, Ph.D., Professor / Evaluator, Department of Counseling Psychology and Education, Loyola University Chicago. He states that, "These evaluation results reflect past years successes:

• statistically significant increase of knowledge gained and skills developed by the student.
• almost all administrators have indicated a significant positive impact on school climate.
• these evaluation results are similar to past years' reports indicating replicability of the program's success."

Why Peer Leadership:

A "meta-analysis" of successful prevention programs conducted by Nan Tobler states that if one was to do only a single type of prevention effort, the single most effective strategy would be youth peer leadership. Our experience over the past eleven years, with over 20 Chicago schools, has borne this out. This project is now also being implemented in the St. Paul Public School District in Minnesota and the Davenport Community School District in Davenport Iowa.

HOW IT WORKS
The key components are:

1. TRAINING OF FACILITATORS: An extensive training of 3 school staff who co-facilitate the training and coordinate the program.

2. YOUTH PEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT: A 12-15 hour core training for youth (5th - 12th grades) in cultural diversity, communication, rule-setting, refusal skills, decision making, self-esteem, alcohol and other drug information, etc. Youth also design a Peer Leadership Prevention Plan that they carry out during the school year.

3. STAFF IN-SERVICE: Training of school staff in order to promote and enhance peer leadership in the classroom. Prevention Partnership also offers other training services to schools.

4. PARENT EDUCATION: Training of parents to promote and enhance peer leadership skills at home.

5. FOLLOW-UP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Assistance to school staff and to youth as they implement their Peer Leadership Prevention Action Plan.

6. FINAL EVALUATION REPORT: A final report will be prepared on the program's impact in your school.

Parent Involvement

Impacts the child's environment directly:

• Creating a positive atmosphere for learning

• Working with school staff and parents

• Serving as an adult role model
• Volunteering quality time
• Attending sporting events and or Extracurricular activities
• Community sponsored social events
• Being familiar with school policies and procedures

Parent Involvement Through Volunteering
It's A Family Affair

For more information on this and other programs please contact:

• Albert L. Orsello, President and Chief Executive Officer

• Adam Bates, Manager

Tel: (773) 378-4195 • Fax: (773) 378-8190
E-mail: info@preventionpartnership.org

Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services
Substance Abuse Prevention Programs

Peer Leadership Prevention
Education and Parent Involvement Program

Enhancing the development of youth, their families and communities, through education,
prevention, intervention and health promotion programs.

Revised 02/02