Community Strength Project

According to the World Health Organization, people under the age of 25 comprise one in four HIV cases. The number of youth living with HIV increases each year. While many young people were born with the virus, others are infected everyday.

The Community Strength Project wants to address young people’s concerns and help them learn more about living well with HIV. We are here to give you the information that you want about the topics you find interesting.

Email the Peer Educator to let us know how we’re doing. Give him a topic and he will write about it in his journal. Have private questions about living with HIV? Need help dealing with healthcare services?

Just email us!

HEAR ME 2007 HIV/AIDS Story Writing and Video Project

The HEAR ME Project is now accepting applications for its fourth annual story writing and first annual video projects. Adolescents age 14-22 years (as of September 1, 2007) are encouraged to submit stories and videos about HIV/AIDS and related issues. Stories will be judged by a panel of health professionals and Hollywood celebrities for awards up to $2,500. Story and video submissions are due on December 1, 2007. Judges will announce winners in February 2008. For more information about guidelines, submission processes, and story writing winners from the last three years go to: http://www.hearmeproject.org/

 

Positive Youth Project

AIDS Alliance started the Positive Youth Project to bring the                                            voice of  young people and parents living with HIV to policy makers who are making important decisions about the content of sex education and HIV prevention education programs for school-aged youth.

AIDS Alliance believes that young people are best equipped to make good decisions about their health and well-being when they have access to medically sound, scientifically accurate information. Therefore, we advocate for comprehensive HIV prevention and sex education that includes information about abstinence, and we oppose "abstinence-only" approaches that do not include information that equips young people to protect themselves and others if they are sexually active.

The majority of American parents support comprehensive, age-appropriate, science-based sex education programs for school-aged youth, but their voices are seldom heard in the public debate. Even less often do we hear from youth and parents who are living with HIV, yet their lives are uniquely affected by what policy makers decide about sex education and HIV prevention. 

Through the Positive Youth Project, AIDS Alliance empowers positive youth and parents to speak for themselves and educate policy makers about the benefits of comprehensive HIV prevention and sex education for school-aged youth.

In a Position to Know: Youth and Parents Living With HIV
Speak Out on Sexuality Education -- Executive Summary 

Girls 4 HOPE

Download 2007-2008 application materials here.

                                                                                                                     Girls 4 HOPE (Health Opportunities, Prevention, and Education) builds the capacity of community-based organizations to initiate and improve HIV prevention programs for African American and Latina teen girls (13-18 years old) and their parents.

Through the Girls 4 HOPE program, AIDS Alliance works with community-based organizations that serve African American and Latina teen girls who are at high risk for HIV infection. We offer a comprehensive program of training and technical assistance tailored to mutually identified needs and an agreed upon individualized capacity building plan.

GIRLS 4 HOPE services are based on well-researched programs and promising strategies that have been found to help African American and Latina teen girls do the following:

• develop the knowledge and skills they need to make life-long decisions about their sexual health;
• avoid behaviors that place them at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; and
• make healthy choices that promote their overall health and well-being.

Through GIRLS 4 HOPE, AIDS Alliance helps community based organizations connect parenting adults with teen girls to build strong, culturally and linguistically youth-centered HIV prevention programs. Girls 4 HOPE services are provided free of charge to eligible community-based organizations. For more information, call or email Ximena Marquez at 202-785-3564, ext. 14.

GIRLS 4 HOPE is funded by a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health, cooperative agreement # 5U58DP000397-02. 

Last updated on July 16, 2008