Agenda Item # ___
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
6/23/2015
Agenda Report # ____
TO: Mayor and Council
SUBJECT: Teen Advisors Inc.
INITIATED BY: Columbus Office of Crime Prevention
Recommendation: Approval is requested to enter into a one-year contract with
Teen Advisors Inc. to award funding for Crime Prevention initiatives.
Background: Columbus Office of Crime Prevention has agreed to recommend the
funding of $30,000.00 to Teen Advisors Inc. effort to mentor juveniles from
ages 11-16 in middle schools and high schools to reduce the truancy rate, drug
usage, pregnancy and delinquency among juveniles within the school system.
Analysis: Funds will be used to pay for quality programming as well as
mentoring for juveniles.
Financial Considerations: These funds are appropriated from the Other Local
Option Sales Tax, Crime Prevention Program and do not require a match.
Recommendations/ Actions: Approve the resolution authorizing the City Manager
to enter into a one-year contract with Teen Advisors Inc. to provide funding
for mentoring and quality programming for middle school children.
A RESOLUTION
NO. _____
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH TEEN
ADVISORS INC. FOR $30,000.00 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE INITIATIVES OF TEEN
ADVISORS INC.
WHEREAS, Teen Advisors Inc. has the Teen Advisors Program to impact the lives
of juveniles to reduce the rate of truancy, drug usage, pregnancy and
delinquency and,
WHEREAS, the Columbus Office of Crime Prevention has authorized funding under
the Crime Prevention Program for this project in the amount of $30,000.00 to
the Teen Advisors Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
The Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into a one-year contract
through the Columbus Office of Crime Prevention with Teen Advisors Inc. for
$30,000.00 for funding the Teen Advisors Program. Funds are budgeted in the
FY16 budget: Other Local Option Sales Tax, Crime Prevention Program.
___________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held
the 23rd day of June, 2015 and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote
of ____________ members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting________________.
Councilor Baker voting________________.
Councilor Barnes voting_______________.
Councilor Buck voting_____________.
Councilor Davis voting________________.
Councilor Henderson voting____________.
Councilor Huff voting_________________.
Councilor Pugh voting_________________.
Councilor Thomas voting______________.
Councilor Woodson voting_____________.
__________________________________ ______________________________________
TINY B. WASHINGTON TERESA
PIKE TOMLINSON
CLERK
MAYOR
4
Local Assistance Grant Agreement
Grant Program Name: Columbus Office of Crime Prevention
Fiscal Agent: Muscogee County
Administering Agency: Columbus Office of Crime Prevention
Grant Recipient: Teen Advisors
Amount: $30,000.00
Budget: Personnel ? $30,000.00
Total - $30,000.00
Program Contact Information
Name: Derik Roberts Title: Director
Address: 1316 Wildwood Avenue
Phone #: 706-322-6186
Project Description
Mission Statement: Teen Advisors, Inc. exists to empower students to impact
their culture with integrity for life through positive peer pressure!
They gather, equip, and mobilize hundreds of local teenagers to impact
thousands of their peers in area schools through interactive classroom
presentations and community events.
Five hundred and fifty teenagers from 29 different Columbus-area middle
schools, high schools, and colleges who commit together to be drug-free,
sexually-abstinent, positive role models for their schools and communities.
They equip them with expert, relevant training, and mobilize them to directly
influence 5,650 local 6th, 8th, and 9th graders to make wise and healthy life
choices through interactive, meaningful classroom presentations and community
events.
I, Derik Roberts the duly authorized representative of the above named Grant
Recipient, do hereby agree to the following terms that outline the requirements
of Columbus, Georgia for organizations/agencies receiving funds from the
Columbus Office of Crime Prevention. I have been given the opportunity to ask
questions regarding these terms and fully understand my organization?s
obligations incurred by accepting this grant. I understand that prior to the
disbursements of any funds the following criteria must be met:
1. The above named Grant Recipient represents the beneficiaries of the Grant
and the above named individual is authorized to act in the name of Teen
Advisors as the Grant Recipient.
2. The subject matter of this Agreement is primarily the provision of services
in the form of individualized after school programming through tutoring and
mentoring.
3. The Grant Recipient shall immediately notify the Agency if any of their
service providers are arrested. At the time Grant Recipient learns that one of
its service providers has been arrested, then Grant Recipient shall cease to
use such service provider in connection with programs funded by this Grant.
4. In the initial report submitted to the Administering Agency, Grant Recipient
shall provide: (a) the name of the chairman and the secretary of the advisory
committee; (b) the times and dates that the Grant programs are available ?
essentially a schedule of services; (c) the number of participants in the
program; (d) Description of the process used to identify individuals for which
services will be provided; (e) provide specifics on the evaluation process
that addresses how the process will work, how the statistical data will be
gathered, how it will be analyzed.
5. Grant Recipient shall provide an accounting system that shall separate Grant
Funds from other funds. The accounting system shall also separate Grant
related expenses from other expenses.
6. Grant Recipient shall submit to Agency an monthly report on the progress of
the programs. The report shall provide statistical data that supports the
projects goals of reducing the recidivism rates of the participants within the
program.
7. Grant Recipient shall use Grant Funds strictly for the purposes outlined in
the Grant. Any changes to the programs must be submitted in writing to
Columbus Office of Crime Prevention for approval or the funding may be
jeopardized.
8. Grant Recipient shall identify the members of its Board of Directors which
will assume liability if the CCG determines the funds have been misused.
9. Monthly report must be submitted to Seth Brown electronically by the 10th
day of the month. Once the report is approved it will be submitted to the
Office of Crime Prevention Board for evaluation.
10. The Grant Recipient shall use generally accepted accounting principles
(?GAAP?) to account for all financial transactions used to substantiate the
fulfillment of this Grant.
11. The Grant Recipient shall maintain all records of Grant-related financial
transactions for a minimum of three years after the completion of the Grant and
to make all records available for inspection and fully cooperate with any audit
or investigation requested or undertaken by the CCG, the State Auditor, the
Internal Auditor for Columbus, Georgia, or any other officials of the state or
federal government who have the authority to conduct audits.
12. The Grant Recipient shall comply at all times with the provisions of
Article I, Section II, and Paragraph VII of the Georgia Constitution regarding
the prohibition against Sectarian Aid.
13. The Grant Recipient hereby releases Columbus, Georgia from any liability
whatsoever and Grant Recipient hereby agrees to indemnify Columbus, Georgia
against any and all claims for damages, bodily injury or death arising from any
of the activities contemplated by this Agreement raised by any person. Grant
Recipient shall provide to Columbus, Georgia a certificate of insurance that
shows general liability coverage in the amount of at least $1,000,000 per
occurrence and which shows that Columbus, Georgia is named as an additional
insured.
14. All services must be provided by properly certified or licensed personal.
15. In the event there is any discrepancy in the language of the project
description and these numbered paragraphs, the language in the numbered
paragraphs shall control.
________________________________________________________________________
Signature of City Manager, Isaiah
Hugley Date
________________________________________________________________________
Approved as to form by City
Attorney
Date
________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Director of Finance, Pam
Hodge
Date
________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Grant Recipient Representative, Derik
Roberts Date
- 12 -
Application for Columbus Office of Crime Prevention Grant
A. Applicant
Name of Organization:____Teen Advisors,
Inc.________________________________
Address: ____1316 Wildwood Avenue, Columbus GA
31909_____________________
CEO/Executive Director:____Derik Allen
Roberts______________________________
Contact Person/ Title:____Derik Allen Roberts, Executive
Director_________________
Telephone and email:_706-322-6186 ext. 302_ Email
Address:_derik@teenadvisors.org
Has the applicant organization ever received a grant from COCP? __X
__Yes _____No
If yes, when was the grant made? _in 2012 & in 2014_
Was a final report submitted? __X___Yes _____No
B. Project
Project period (full life of project)_July 2015 ? June
2016________________________
Where, specifically, will it occur?_12 MCSD middle schools and 6 MCSD
high schools
Approximately how many people will benefit from the project?_6,200
______________
How did you arrive at the above numbers? projected number of 5th, 6th,
8th, and 9th grade
_students at our partner schools plus projected # of Teen Advisor
members___________
When will funds be needed?_July 2015__
____________________________________
Grant amount requested (must be no more than 90% of total project
expense)_$68,500_
Total project revenue and support (from line 3, pg. 6)_$460,218
___________________
Total project expenses (from line 12, pg. 7)_$528,718
___________________________
C. Program Budget
Program Revenue and Support
1. Revenue
Admission/Ticket
income____________________________________________
Other Revenue__ Student Activity Fees -
$40,500________________________
2. Support (indicate with * if already
committed)______________________________
Corporate support_$60,250 (Rivertown Christmas fall
fundraiser sponsors)____
Foundation support_$153,000 ($20,000* & remaining expected
from other____
grants and foundations, including United Way)_________________________
Other private
support_$144,968___($115,000*)_________________________
Government support
Federal_________________________________________________________
State___________________________________________________________
Other County
agency_____________________________________________
Organizations cash applied to project_$61,500*
__________________________
3. TOTAL PROJECT REVENUE AND SUPPORT__$460,218_______________
Project expenses
4. Personnel (give as much detail as possible)_$286,500 for staff
salaries, $25,500 for
_employee benefits; $21,918 for payroll expenses. (5 full time
field staff, 4 part-__
_time field staff, 1 full-time executive director, 1 full-time
financial manager/____
_volunteer coordinator, 1 part-time special projects director, 1 full-time
admin___
_assistant.)
Subtotal, Personnel _$333,918
_______________________________
5. Consultants and professional fees_$17,000_ in accounting,
auditing, and legal____
_services
___________________________________________________________
Subtotal, Consultants and professional fees_$17,000
______________
6. Supplies and equipment_$5,000 for equipment & maintenance,
$5,750 for_______
_supplies, _$70,500 for student events/student
supplies/curriculum/trainings/etc.__
_$6,500 for insurance, $25,000 for need-based scholarships,
$10,050 for________
_occupancy/utilities costs______________________________________________
Subtotal, Supplies and equipment_$122,800
_____________________
7. Travel (Itemize)_Staff planning retreat - $1,600, Catalyst
Leadership Conference - _
_$1,100_(*staff retreat includes all staff and
involves_evaluation of previous year
and planning for next
year)____________________________________________
Subtotal, Travel_$2,700
______________________________________
8. Printing and copying_$800 office printing, _$3,500 for
publications/materials and
brochures
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Subtotal, Printing and copying_$4,300
____________________________
9. Marketing and publicity_$44,000 for fundraising campaigns,
events, and publicity.
The majority of expenses is related to our Rivertown Christmas
fundraiser which__
raised more than $100,000 last
year______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
10. Mailing/postage_$1,500
_____________________________________________
11. Telephone/fax_$2,500 phone, internet, and organization
website_____________
Subtotal, Other_$2,500
________________________________________
12. TOTAL PROJECT
EXPENSE__$528,718____________________________
D. PROJECT SUMMARY/NARRATIVE
1. Organization: Briefly state the primary purpose of the organization
Negative peer pressure is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and
pervasive catalysts for the destructive, risky, and often illegal choices and
actions by teenagers. Teenagers deal with serious issues and social pressures
every day: depression, drugs and alcohol, sexuality, intentional self-harm,
academic pressure, relationships, bullying, violence; the list goes on and on.
But just as teenagers can influence each other in negative ways, they can also
be amazing catalysts for change in their own schools, homes, and communities.
Teenagers have a voice and they can influence their peers in positive ways.
Simply put, teenagers are more likely to listen to other teenagers. That?s the
power and potential of positive peer pressure!
Teen Advisors, Inc. seeks to empower, train, and equip teenagers to be leaders
and role models in their schools. Our ?Teen Advisors? lead student-led
classroom presentations DURING the school day at 20 local high schools and
middle schools in Muscogee County and Harris County. Students lead discussions
in 9th and 6th grade classrooms at their school where they answer questions
from and give advice to their peers on relevant teen topics and issues that
teenagers deal with every day.
Additionally, our students lead presentations for 5th and 8th grade students to
help better prepare them for the transition to middle or high school. It is
imperative that we continue to reach students while they are young and PREVENT
poor choices and behaviors that have potentially severe negative consequences
for both teenagers and the community as a whole.
Our goal is to impact and empower youth in our community to live with character
and integrity, and model lives of healthy living and wise decision making for
their peers. Our students pledge to abstain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco use,
and sexual activity and also to live with integrity and character while
encouraging and influencing their peers to do the same.
Ultimately we seek to impact local youth to make better choices in life by
leveraging the power of peer pressure in positive ways to
1) decrease and prevent teen alcohol, drug, and tobacco use.
2) decrease and prevent teen bullying, depression, self-harm, and suicide.
3) decrease and prevent juvenile crime, gang membership, and teen violence.
4) decrease and prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and
sexual activity.
2. Background of the organization: Briefly describe when the organization was
started, number of members and any other helpful information.
Teen Advisors began when a concerned mother saw a growing need in our community
for youth-centered programs to help teenagers struggling with a serious issues
and social pressures. In 1987, the very first Teen Advisor students received
permission from their school to go and speak to their younger peers about wise
and healthy responses to common teen issues.
These first Teen Advisors passed out index cards to their peers and asked them
to anonymously write down any questions they had about high school life:
dating, sex, drinking, drugs, academics, parents, divorce, friendships,
bullies, etc. This small team of older students answered all of those
questions, sharing their own personal stories and experiences while offering
helpful and relevant advice.
Membership in the following years increased rapidly and quickly expanded into
additional schools as the power of positive peer pressure was recognized by
teachers and administrators at other schools.
For many years, parents and school administrators asked Teen Advisors to create
a similar program for area middle schools and in October of 2002, our Velocity
program was born. Velocity is now our fastest growing program with 11 active
middle school programs throughout Muscogee and Harris County.
Our classroom sessions and student events have evolved and grown since those
very first classroom sessions 28 years ago, but the heart remains the same. We
want to see older teens standing up for what is right in their schools, being
positive role models, and influencing their younger peers to make good choices.
In addition to classroom sessions, high school Teen Advisors also lead 5th and
8th grade assemblies at other schools, offering advice and counsel for their
transition and helping prepare them for what to expect when they get to high
school.
During the current 2014-2015 school year we have 444 student ?Teen
Advisors? (204 in our high school program and 240 in our middle school program)
with active programs in 18 Columbus-area middle schools and high schools. These
444 Teen Advisors will deliver 566 classroom sessions and assembly
presentations throughout the school year, directly impacting nearly 5,500 local
5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th grade students this school year alone.
We hope to eventually have programs at EVERY school in Muscogee County, but
currently have active programs in the following schools:
High Schools: Carver, Hardaway, Northside, Columbus, Harris County, Calvary,
St. Anne-Pacelli (hoping to begin a program at Kendrick)
Middle Schools: Arnold, Double Churches, Midland, Aaron Cohn, Blackmon Road,
Veterans Memorial, Harris County Carver, Creekside, Calvary, St. Anne-Pacelli,
and St. Luke.
(Inactive this year due to low student interest, but plan to resume next year:
Fort, East Columbus)
8th Grade Assemblies: 8th grade assembly presentations at Fort, Aaron Cohn,
Blackmon Road, Midland, Veterans Memorial, and Harris County Carver. This
program was offered to other schools, but scheduling conflicts or lack of
interest resulted in only these six schools being possible this Spring. We are
currently trying to find possible dates for Rothschild and East Columbus (who
both requested an assembly), but at this stage do not have anything scheduled.
Elementary Schools: Teen Advisors is launching a 5th grade classroom
presentations in at least 3 elementary schools this Spring. We currently have
requests from Gentian Elementary and St. Anne-Pacelli and we are actively
pursuing one additional school. The age of initiation for many dangerous
behaviors is growing younger and younger. Recent data suggests that many are
exposed to drugs, drinking, and other ?risky behaviors? at the elementary
school level. We believe that older middle school students in our Velocity and
Elevate programs would have a tremendous voice and influence with 5th grade
elementary students. Receiving funding will be a major factor in whether or not
we are able to expand this aspect of our program to additional schools in the
coming year.
3. Project description and objectives: Clearly state the project and
objectives.
Columbus-area teens are under constant pressure from their peers to engage in
risky behaviors and make unhealthy decisions, including drinking alcohol, using
tobacco, abusing drugs, joining gangs, and being sexually active. These
behaviors result in all sorts of problems (physical, emotional, relational,
academic, and economic) that have both short-term and long-term consequences
for the youth involved and the larger communities around them. Simply put,
unhealthy teens engaging in criminal or deviant behavior quickly become adults
engaging in criminal or deviant behavior.
Instead of training and mobilizing a small handful of adults to fight against
the power of peer pressure in middle and high schools, we can actually harness
that power and leverage it for the benefit of the entire student body in a
school by training and mobilizing hundreds of student advisors! Teenagers are
going to influence each other and we can counteract that negative peer pressure
by equipping and empowering a group of teenagers to make a positive impact
among their peers. While adult-driven drug and crime prevention approaches are
useful and necessary, a large group of teens can have a tremendous and
widespread impact on their peers.
As we continue to evaluate and better our programs, we have concluded that
increased attention is needed for teenagers moving from 5th to 6th grade and
for teenagers moving from 8th to 9th grade. These crucial transition years are
some of the most challenging and overwhelming, and frequently represent a host
of new temptations and opportunities to engage in criminal and/or health-risk
behavior.
Our program objectives include:
? launch a new program (Elevate) that will specifically target 9th grade
students and 5th grade students in crucial periods of transition. This new
program will strengthen current program activities by more adequately staffing
and emphasizing these age groups.
? provide 8-12 student led school assemblies for 5th and 8th grade students
specifically designed to prepare and equip teens for the transition and
highlighting what to expect in middle or high school.
? leveraging the power of peer pressure to produce positive outcomes in local
teens' lives, immediately and long-term, thereby making wise and healthy
choices the "cool" things to do in middle and high school.
? equip and train 500+ ?Teen Advisors? to be positive role models and leaders
in their schools and in the community.
? impact 6,000+ local 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th grade students through student-led
classroom presentations, DURING the school day and throughout the school year.
? maintain programs in our current 18 local middle schools and high schools,
recruit students for current programs at Fort and East Columbus middle schools,
and attempt to launch new programs at Kendrick High School and Rothschild
Middle school.
? increase local teens? preparedness to deal with negative peer pressure
? decrease the number of teens in the Columbus-area drinking alcohol, using
tobacco, and abusing drugs.
? decrease teenage drunk driving in the Columbus-area
? decrease teenage violence and gang membership in the Columbus-area
? decrease the number of teens in the Columbus-area engaging in sexual
activities, contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and getting
pregnant.
? decrease teen depression and incidents of bullying, suicide, and teenage
self-harm in the Columbus area.
? reduce the juvenile crime and recidivism rates in the Columbus-area as it
relates to the above mentioned issues.
These are all ambitious goals, but we have been making tremendous strides in
the youth community for more than 28 years and our program is able to
repeatedly and directly impact thousands of teenagers at a relatively low
financial cost. We are on the threshold of some really incredible things and we
require the funding to make it happen!
4. Target group: Identify target groups for the project and how they will be
selected.
Our target population is teenagers in the 5th-12th grades in Muscogee and
Harris County. Nearly 6,000 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th grade students are the
direct recipients of the in-school, peer-advisement sessions and student
assemblies. Classroom sessions last 45-minutes each, and occur 4-6 times in
each school throughout the school year. Nearly 500 7th-12th grade Teen Advisors
receive training and empowerment to exert positive peer pressure by presenting
the TA Classroom Sessions or assembly presentations to the 5th, 6th, 8th, and
9th grade peers. Our trainings and community events for our student Teen
Advisor members occur weekly and last anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on the
nature of the event. While we currently have active programs in 18 local middle
schools and high schools, membership in Teen Advisors is open to ANY 7th-12th
grader in the Columbus-area. Programs are launched at any schools that express
interest and have the necessary interested students available to launch a
program.
We provide these services at no cost to the MCSD or to the schools we serve.
5. Expected outcome: List and explain the expected outcome of the project or
program.
SHORT-TERM: In the first 6-12 months of our program, we expect to change
students' KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, and UNDERSTANDING in the following areas:
(la) Students' awareness of the power of peer pressure increases.
(Ib) Students' preparedness to deal with negative peer pressure improves.
(2a) Students' awareness of the consequences of using drugs, alcohol, and
tobacco increases.
(2b) Students' attitudes towards abstaining from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco
improves.
(3a) Students' awareness of the consequences of being sexually active increases.
(3b) Students' attitudes towards abstaining from sexual activities improves.
(4) Students' understanding of self-worth improves.
(5) Students' understanding of the dangers involved in gang activities
increases.
MEDIUM-TERM: 1-3 years after a student has been exposed to our program, we
expect to change students' BEHAVIOR in the following areas:
(1a) Students become positive role models for others.
(1b) Students succumbing to negative peer pressure decreases.
(2) Students commit to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
(3) Students commit to abstain from sexual activities.
(4) Students? attitudes towards their own self-worth improves.
(5) Students commit to abstain from gang involvement.
LONG-TERM: 3-5 years after a student has been exposed to our program, we expect
to change students' STATUS in the following areas:
(1) Graduates meet and manage the independence and responsibilities of young
adulthood with wisdom and maturity.
(2a) Decrease in teen alcohol consumption.
(2b) Decrease in teen tobacco use.
(2c) Decrease in teen drug abuse.
(3a) Decrease in the number of teens contracting Sexually Transmitted
Infections.
(3b) Decrease in teen pregnancy rate.
(4a) Decrease in teen depression rates.
(4b) Decrease in the number of incidents of teenage self-harm and bullying.
(5) Decrease in teen gang activity rate.
6. Success: How will you assess the success of your program?
SHORT-TERM: At the conclusion of 12 months of exposure to our program, we
survey every student advisor and advisee to assess both the number and
percentage of our target population who demonstrate an increase or improvement
in their own KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, and UNDERSTANDING of items (la)-(5). We also
interview school administrators and faculty annually on the effectiveness of
our programs in their schools during the past year.
MEDIUM-TERM: At the completion of their 2nd and 3rd years after having been
exposed to our program, we survey a random sample of 10% of program's
participants from 2 and 3 years ago, respectively. This survey assesses both
the number and percentage of our target population who demonstrate an increase
or improvement in their own BEHAVIOR related to items (l)-(5) listed under
"MEDIUM-TERM". We also compare our findings against the Georgia state averages
in each category using Georgia's Department of Public Health OASIS Youth Risk
Behavior (YRB) Survey. (OASIS = Georgia's "Online Analytical Statistical
Information System")
LONG-TERM: At the completion of their 4th and 5th years after having been
exposed to our program, we survey a random sample of 10% of program's
participants from 4 and 5 years ago, respectively. This survey assesses both
the number and percentage of our target population who demonstrate an increase
or improvement in their own STATUS related to items (l)-(5) listed under
"LONG-TERM". We also compare our findings against the Georgia state averages in
each category using Georgia's Department of Public Health OASIS Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance (BRFS) test.
7. Participants: Are the participants required to do anything specific, (for
example, attend religious services/training or pay a fee), to participate? If
so, describe.
The only requirements for Teen Advisor membership are that students must:
(1) be willing to sign the Teen Advisor Contract, promising to model a life of
integrity for their peers and to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and
sexual activities; and
(2) attend a New Member Training Workshop or Retreat. We charge no fees to the
schools we serve, nor to the nearly 6,000 student advisees therein whom we
counsel.
ANY student in the 7th-12 grade who is willing to commit to being a positive
role model and attend a training/orientation event can join Teen Advisors!
We do charge a small Activities Fee each year for the 500 students who join
Teen Advisors. This money covers their training events and session supplies for
the entire school year. The fee is either $50 or $150, depending on whether
they opt to join via our day-long Workshop ($50), or our three-day weekend
Retreat ($150). All of this money is spent directly back on these student
advisors themselves (through events and supplies); none of their fees go to
help pay for operations or staff salaries.
**We have never turned a student away from joining Teen Advisors for financial
reasons; thus, approximately 50-60% of our student advisors receive need-based
scholarships so that they can join.**
8. Significance: Why is your program significant to the community?
Priority health-risk behaviors are often established during childhood and
adolescence, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated and preventable.1
High school students in the state of Georgia are consuming alcohol, using
tobacco, and abusing other drugs at alarming rates2, devastating the health of many area youth, and impacting the livelihood of
our entire community. Teenagers themselves perceive these problems and it is
impacting their social and emotional health: hundreds of local students
responding to a survey conducted in October 2011 ranked alcohol, tobacco, and
drug abuse as the #1 problem facing youth in Muscogee County.3
Recent data indicates that Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) rates are very
high for 15-19 year-olds in Muscogee and Harris Counties, as compared to
Georgia?s other counties,4 and that teen pregnancy rates in our area are higher
than the state average.5
Depression, intentional self-harm, and suicide are also major health issues
facing Columbus-area teenagers. The latest statistics show that 8.3% of this
population group have attempted suicide, 13.7% have seriously considered
suicide, and 28.8% have experienced ?strong depressive feelings?.7 Responding
to a 2011 survey, 30.6% of students have felt sad or hopeless for weeks at a
time and 19.1% of students were bullied on school property.8 Over the past 5
years among young people 15-19 years of age, intentional self-harm is the third
most common cause of premature death in the state of Georgia9 and continues to
be significantly higher than the national average.10
There is a relationship between all of these startling statistics and the
intense power of negative peer pressure which is constantly at work in the
lives of teenagers. Our community is in need of youth who model healthy living
and wise decision-making for their peers.
There are many worthwhile agencies in our community offering programs to
improve the health and safety of Columbus-area teens. We support and
collaborate with these agencies! But what makes Teen Advisors significant is
that we are able to deliver our program services through teenagers, IN school
classrooms, DURING the school day, MULTIPLE times all throughout the school
year, leveraging the power of peer pressure!
We empower students themselves to be the message-carriers and the
difference-makers. This unique impact method allows us to reach EVERY
underclassman in the schools in which we have programs - directly and
repeatedly - with the most influential voices in their lives: their fellow
teens!
1CDC: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, MMWR, 61(SS-4), 2011 2Georgia
Student Health Survey: 2011-2012 3C.D. Kostilnik, Center for Community Studies:
Muscogee County Youth Survey Report. Oct 2011; 4The Annie E. Casey Foundation:
Georgia Kids Count Fact Sheet. Oct 2011; 5C.D. Kostilnik, Center for Community
Studies: Muscogee County Community Assessment. Oct 2011; 6CDC: YRBSS, MMWR,
57(SS-4). 2008; 7CDC, cdc.gov/std/stats10: Sexually Transmitted Disease
Surveillance, 2010; 8CDC: Youth Online: 2011 Georgia Youth Risk Behavior Survey
9Georgia Division of Public Health, OASIS; 10CDC: Youth Online: 2011 United
States YRBS.
9. Administered: How will your project be administered? How is your
organization qualified and/or qualified to carry out this project?
Our passionate, educated, and loving staff works with area schools, churches,
and businesses - along with dozens of adult volunteers - to host our weekly and
monthly training events for our city-wide team of Teen Advisors. We currently
have a staff that consists of 8 full time employees, 5 part time employees, and
2 unpaid interns.
These training and community-building events offer our student advisors the
tools they need to speak intelligently and effectively with their peers about
the most pressing topics that teens are facing today. Our staff act as mentors
and counselors to our 500 student members and help equip and empower them to
make a difference in their schools. Our training events are followed by
"classroom session days" at each of our participating schools, where teams of
6-8 student advisors present a 45-minute-long, interactive session on a
relevant teen topic.
Our older student advisors engage the class in discussion and participation
through purposeful games/icebreakers, small group activities, personal
testimonies, and an open question-and-answer time.
These sessions are evaluated by the classroom teacher, by the adult observer in
the room, and by the team of advisors in order to make improvements before
going into the next classroom.
Regarding qualifications, our staff and volunteers participate in varied
ongoing trainings led by leading professionals in each field, both locally and
nationally. Our areas of training include: substance abuse, suicide prevention,
effective teen counseling, sexual abstinence training, Safe Sanctuary training,
and more. We integrate the latest research, strategies, statistics, and best
practices in all of our staff, volunteer, and student training materials.
We also seek to collaborate with other organizations seeking to impact youth in
our area. Last year Teen Advisor students volunteered and/or spoke at
G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training), D.A.R.E., and Camp Joy (an
outreach of Valley Rescue Mission). We continue to seek out new opportunities
to partner and collaborate with other youth service programs and organizations
in our area.
In the upcoming school year, we plan to collaborate with The Family Center of
Columbus to have licensed professionals provide training for our staff and Teen
Advisors regarding various mental health issues like depression and intentional
self-harm. We are also seeking to be actively involved with Project A.W.A.R.E.
in Muscogee County and find meaningful ways to collaborate with other
organizations through that project to better serve the youth in our area and
get them the help and resources they need to be successful.
10. References: Please include any reference letters or documents that you feel
would support your application for the grant.
By signing this application, we understand and agree to the terms included on
the application and certify that the information in the application is true and
accurate and that the undersigned is authorized to apply on behalf of the
applicant.
___________________________________________ ______________________
Signature of Authorizing Official Date
Name and Title of Authorizing Official
(print/type)__________________________________
Daytime Telephone ( )_____________________________
___________________________________________ ______________________
Signature of Board President/Chair Date
Name and Title of Board President/Chair
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Daytime Telephone ( )_____________________________
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