Ypsilanti Peer to Peer Program Keeps Youth Informed, Safe

BY JASON A. MICHAEL

Statistics have shown that youth ages 13-29 have the highest HIV infection rate in Washtenaw County. In response, a group of young people ages 13-16 in Ypsilanti started a peer mentoring program, Prevent & Prevail, to offer an open exchange of ideas about sex, empowerment, drugs, and prevention for STDs and HIV.

“We found ourselves in the middle of that age range,” said Cleo Ku, 20, one of the original group members who helped start the program almost six years ago. “I was 15 at the time. We wanted to figure out how to combat that and teach our peers and ourselves how to protect ourselves.”

When Ku learned of the startling statistics he was attending educational sessions by way of Educate Youth, the non-profit arm of Dedicated to Make a Change facilitated by Gail Wolkoff at the Jim Toy Community Center in Ann Arbor.

Read more here!

Prevent and Prevail is looking for teen facilitators to co-lead our sessions, teaching peers about important topics and how to protect themselves. Please contact us if you are interested in attending a future training.

These are youth ages 15-18 who want to build their leadership skills, make money, and give knowledge to younger peers.

Potential facilitators should attend our 6-week training. The training will be 2 hours/week on January 21st, February 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th from 12-3pm and March 5th at 3pm-5:30pm at the Clubhouse, 104 S. Huron, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Teens will be paid per hour.

Prevent & Prevail is a program created by youth between the ages of 13 and 16 after learning that the HIV infection rate is highest in the 13-23 age group. The goal of Prevent & Prevail is to have open discussions in a safe, confidential, fun, and all inclusive environment. Teen facilitators receive over 20 hours of training before leading a series of information sessions and discussions for their peers. Some of the topics of discussion include: sex, HIV and other STIs and STDs, relationships and intimacy, respect and consent, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, and drugs. Teens learn how to keep themselves safe by practicing ways to prevent the spread of HIV and other STIs and STDs in Washtenaw County, as well as how to prevent teen pregnancy and protect themselves within relationships. They also learn more about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, which not only gives TLGBQQ (transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning) youth information that is important to their lives, but also promotes acceptance and reduces teen-to-teen harassment and bullying due to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Youth who are interested in facilitating Prevent and Prevail should attend our 6-week training. You will learn accurate information about relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality, as well as how to lead icebreakers, group discussions, and activities. Interested youth should contact Gail at gail@dedicatedtomakeachange.com or call 734-358-1402