Center for Supportive Schools

Intervention Name: Peer Group Connection - Middle School (PGC-MS)

Project Overview: The Center for Supportive Schools (CSS) proposes a rigorous evaluation of Peer Group Connection - Middle School (PGC-MS), a middle school-based positive youth development (PYD) and peer leadership model. This program aims to improve protective factors and reduce risk behaviors associated with teen pregnancy, as well as improve adolescent health and well-being. PGC-MS promotes school attachment and social-emotional learning to improve adolescent health and education. Peer leaders in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade will have eighteen 45-minute mentoring outreach sessions and will be matched with the same group of 6th or 7th graders three days a month during the school day for eight months and will engage students in hands-on activities. Peer leaders will also lead supportive groups and participate in elective course development, training, and enrichment. All students entering middle school can participate in PGC-MS and the program will specifically target middle school students with effective programming before they become sexually active. PGC-MS will utilize existing resources (staff, students, and time within the school day) for the program. Faculty advisors will undergo a 10-day intensive train-the-trainer course over a year to learn program implementation and facilitation skills. 

Intervention Population of Focus: Low-income, Black, Latinx, and rural students at high risk for teen pregnancy and birth (across 5 states (MD, MA, NJ, NC, SC) and DC); middle school students (6th or 7th graders)

Intervention Type (e.g., curriculum, web-based, training, other): Curriculum