Mission WV Receives Funding to Bring Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programming to More Youth Across WV
Mission WV’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (THINK) has been awarded a five-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs (OPA) to ensure middle and high school youth receive the life skills training they need to make important life decisions. Mission WV will receive $1,972,000 per year over the grant cycle.
“We are incredibly thankful that due to these funds, we can continue to not only provide education around teen health issues but also expand to other counties and schools, " said Jill Gwilt, THINK Director. “This project will help us increase awareness of teen pregnancy prevention, reproductive health strategies, healthy relationship education, consent, and positive youth development throughout the state. This is a great opportunity for our organization to work with communities and individuals in greatest need.”
Mission WV has programs specifically for middle and high school youth. We also provide programming for youth-serving professionals such as teachers, counselors, social workers, coaches, youth group leaders - anyone interacting with adolescents. We help guide them through how to have honest and accurate conversations with young people in their lives.
Currently, THINK (Teaching Health Instead of Nagging Kids) teaches teen pregnancy prevention, healthy relationship education, and positive youth development utilizing Love Notes, an evidence-based curriculum, in health classes, juvenile centers, foster care facilities, psychiatric treatment centers, and alternative schools in 17 counties. With this funding and other continued funding, the THINK program will be able to reach over 13,000 students per year in the following counties: Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Putnam, Summers, Wayne, and Webster.
The grant will start on July 1, 2023, and run through June 30, 2028.
About the THINK Program:
THINK empowers teens to make positive life choices through education, life skills, and coaching. Our evidence-based program helps the students we work with navigate the social-emotional pressures all teens face as they develop. This includes building healthy relationships, healthy choices around their own bodies, and pregnancy prevention. To learn more about Mission WV’s THINK program or to partner with Mission WV, call 866-CALL-MWV or visit missionwv.org.
About Mission WV
Mission West Virginia is leading a statewide effort to promote positive futures for all kids in West Virginia. We work alongside families as they navigate West Virginia’s foster care system and provide evidence-based life skills education to help teens envision and create positive futures. As a result of our work putting kids first in collaboration with social services, school districts, private foster care agencies, and other nonprofits, the future looks brighter for West Virginia. Learn more at www.missionwv.org.