About
Project YES You Can! is a program to educate young people, their parents and teachers about the benefits of delaying sexual activity and to help reduce the incidence of both non-marital pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It is federally funded for five years (2007-2012) and aims to reach 12- to 18-year-olds in Newark, Orange, East Orange and Irvington with the message that avoiding sexual activity as high-risk behavior gives them their best shot at a healthy and promising future.
Project goals for students are pursued via two distinct service delivery paths – classroom instruction and individual health education coaching. Staff of Project YES You Can! teach three age-appropriate levels of curriculum in public and private middle and high schools. This is done throughout the school year, as well as in summer community-based programs. They also provide individual coaching primarily for high-risk youth in combination with a self-instructed CD-Rom. This service is available through the OB-GYN Department of Columbus Campus of St. Michael’s Medical Center where they work with pregnant teens using a cessation model, and with various community youth- and family-serving organizations such as Covenant House, Isaiah House, Harmony House and Sierra House.
Project YES You Can! also provides teacher in-service training to encourage a “whole school approach” in support of young people’s choice of abstinence.
Parent presentations help parents understand the landscape of teen sexual activity and how their guidance makes such a significant difference in the choices their teens make.
New Jersey Physicians Advisory Group (NJPAG) serves as a grant subcontractor. Based in Fanwood NJ, this organization provides expertise in ensuring that the message of teen sexual health that is delivered by Project YES You Can! is medically accurate and supported by the most up-to-date knowledge in the field.