The Whole Truth

Direct involvement of youth in developing Breaking the Cycle programs is a long-standing goal of the Hartford Action Plan on Infant Health. In the summer of 2002, we enlisted two high school interns, Jose Figueroa and Cierra Perez, to design a new initiative – a teen pregnancy prevention program that would be run by teens for teens.

Action Plan staff members began by giving the interns a basic background in teen pregnancy prevention, and then led them through a formal strategic planning process to design the program.

Starting with the broad goal of preventing teen pregnancy, the youth identified progressively more specific outcome and process objectives. In just four weeks, these two talented teens developed a detailed program outline and marketing plan. They named the program The Whole Truth, to emphasize that youth need to get all the facts about sex.

By fall of 2002, the concept for The Whole Truth was fully developed, and the Action Plan became a subcontractor to the after-school youth services program at Hartford Public High School, through the 21st Century Schools Initiative. Ten Hartford High students were selected to be Peer Educators and began teaching in March 2004.

Students at Hartford High are now learning about sex from peers who know the facts. It is our goal to expand this program to additional Hartford schools. For more information, contact the Youth Programs Manager at (860) 236-4872.