Design Blueprint of Fellowship - Term Paper Example

Design community project Introduction From a needs assessment conducted through face-to-face interviews in a native reserve in northern BC, it was possible to determine that teenage pregnancy was a concern for most of the community members. The aim of the community assessment was to determine some of the health priorities of the people living in the area. It was possible to determine that this fact after getting responses on the problem from teenage girls who are not single mothers as well as those that are single mothers. By analyzing the findings from the study, it was possible to determine that the most of the single teenage mothers were living below the poverty line, with most of them not having the chance to complete their high school education. The basic assumption in this case is the fact that the poverty level as well as the minimal education leaves the teenage girls vulnerable to the male individuals in their society (Peoples and Grimson et al, 2004). Their vulnerability makes it easier for their male counterparts to convince them into having sex, resulting into the high level of pregnancy among the teenage girls. From the determination that the main concern of the people in the community is the alleviation of the high level of teenage pregnancies, it is vital to come up with a program that is necessary for empowering the teenage girls. The program should be able to identify some of the community goals, the basic goal being the reduction or complete eradication of their major health concern, which are teenage pregnancies. After the identification, it will be possible to implement the different phases of the project, with the main aim being the formulation of a sustainable plan for providing education to the members of the community as well as the teenage girls. To ascertain the sustainability of the project, it would also be vital to identify some of the community choices in relation to the alleviation of the problem, and through the participation of the members, it will be possible to empower them into implementing some of the strategies that will take care of the problem. A general outline of the program evaluation The outline of the evaluation process includes a number of phases, which focus on the evaluation of the contextual situation, the process of the implementation, the impact and the outcome of the evaluation process. The components include the following: a) The first consideration is the technical and conceptual design issues, which are characteristic of the planning stage. This involves choosing the design and methods that are appropriate to the health priority in the area. The phase also involves the development of the evaluation questions, intervention objectives, and the context of the evaluation process, which include the culture of the region and the stakeholders. b) The second consideration is the contextual realm, process evaluation, impact, and outcome evaluation. This consideration involves the incorporation of the funding agencies and the stakeholders who have to address the applicable techniques. c) The third stage involves the evaluation of the methods and designs in light of the relevant theories. d) The next phase involves the assessment of the potential outcomes and unintended consequences of the considered intervention in the community. e) An assessment of the type o multiple changes or levels of analysis f) Using standardized measurements to make comparisons across the evaluation strategies of concern. g) Incorporation of participatory research in evaluating of the effectiveness of the program h) Create a multidisciplinary team that participates in data collection and analysis i) Use other evaluations done in the past to provide information for the current evaluation process. j) Congregate a team of multidisciplinary researchers that will evaluate similar interventions, after which it will be possible to come up with a comparison. k) Incorporate practitioners who are in a position to offer technical assistance and come up with their own interventions. This is necessary for avoiding overreliance on academic interventions. l) Train the health educators on some of the evaluation techniques suitable for data collection and analysis. This is necessary for determining the effectiveness of the program in taking care of the priority health issue in the community. m) The final consideration is the cost-effectiveness of the educational interventions for the community. An evaluation of the health priority issues in the community The outset of the program involves the organization, planning and then the implementation of the program, which should be done in a way that will make it possible to evaluate the operation as well as the program’s effects. This comprises the first phase of the education program. This phase involves training the educators who might be interested in health specialists in the region, and they should involve themselves with practices that involve carrying out evaluation plans, interpreting the program and coming up with findings for future planning. The tasks involve: Setting the aims or objectives of the project grounded on the needs assessment of the local community. Identification of the indicators or rationale that will ensure the success of the project Choosing the research methods that are necessary for monitoring the progress towards achieving the aims of the project Dissemination, reflection and application of the actions necessary for taking care of the problem For the realization of the successful evaluation of the project meant to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancies, it is vital to come up with a project that will be implemented in a number of phases will enable the realization of its success. The phases comprise of the development of the aims or objectives of the project, the determination of the factors that will ensure its success and the dissemination of the strategies that will take care of the problems. For this reason, this paper identifies the best strategy for the alleviation of the problem would be to provide education to the teenagers. The educational strategies will not only focus on the provision of knowledge on some of the preventive measures that would reduce the prevalence of the community concern. A presumably effective program applicable in this case would be a school-based program that would provide education to the girls on some of the preventive strategies to consider in light of reducing the high level of teenage pregnancies among the teenagers (Zimmerman et al, 2011). Determination of the problems in the community The first phase of the implementation involves assessing the situation in the community, which is necessary for the determination of some of the initiatives that are likely to work in this situation. After the preliminary assessment on the determination of health priorities in the community, it was possible to establish that teenage pregnancies are seemingly the priority among some of the health problems in the community. From follow-up interviews by the community health psychologists, it was possible to come up with some findings regarding the most affected teenage girls. In this case, it is feasible to indicate that the most affected are poor girls, who do not have adequate formal education. From the follow-up interviews, most of the single mothers felt that due to the low educational and poverty, they are not in a suitable position to control their lives. They felt that they were emotionally and financially unprepared for motherhood, prompting some of them to offer sexual favors in exchange for child support from their former sexual partners. Most of the teenage mothers did not find this appealing, but due to their poverty level, they have no other option that would enable them to support their children. From the findings in the preliminary assessment, the first phase of the project involves identifying some of the problems that promote the prevalence of the health issues. After this identification, which was partly fulfilled by the preliminary assessment, the next consideration would be to make out some of the gaps that exist between the desires of the teenage mothers and the reality. Consequently, it will be possible to determine the limitations of the project, the knowledge and choices of the community regarding the issue, the resources that will guarantee the success of the project and the determination of alternative solutions as well as the consequences of the implementations. Some of the problems that prevail in the community, which enhance the issue at hand is include the lack of education or the unawareness skills that will help them in resisting pressures of sexual involvement (Peoples and Grimson et al, 2004). The education program is based on the social inoculation theory (Hedgepeth and Helmich, 1996). The theory suggest that the reinforcement of certain beliefs and attitudes is possible through exposing them in advance to some of the weak counterarguments that are necessary for developing defenses against threats. The threat in this case is engaging in sexual encounters at a young age, which in turn leads to pregnancy. This theory was developed by a social psychologist, William J, McGuire, who believed that people have the people have the ability to develop firm attitudes and beliefs that develop stronger arguments of their choices in future (Hedgepeth and Helmich, 1996). Implementation of the education programs The project involves the implementation of two different programs. On one hand, the project involves a program designed to enable the teenage girls to postpone their sexual involvement. The program appreciates the fact that the design of the educational programs should be age specific, and it focuses on the promotion of suitable attitudes and skills that the young teenage girls could use in controlling or reducing their sexual encounters. The implementation of the program is suitable for children still in school, whose integration into their curriculum might be beneficial for assisting them in gaining maturity in the management of their sexuality. The first consideration would be to involve peer educators into learning the specifications of the program through a number of sessions. During the sessions, the educators will participate in discussions about peer pressure and social influences to having sex. The educators will be able to emphasize on the components of the program, which are inclusive of peer-led education initiatives. This includes information about the benefits of abstinence, which does not only focus on ensuring a reduction in teenage pregnancy, but also enhances the teenagers’ knowledge on some of the sexually transmitted diseases that might result from the sexual encounters. The other component of the program involves delivering sessions that provide reproductive health education to the children (Zimmerman et al, 2011). The other component includes making referrals of some of the sexually active youth to reproductive health care centers in the locality, through which they will be able to receive further knowledge on the same. The second consideration of the project involves the development of a program that will provide the sexually active teenage girls with contraception knowledge. One of the findings from the preliminary study is the fact that the knowledge of contraceptives is poor among the teenage girls in the community. Lack of using contraception, especially for the non-single teenage mothers might lead them to getting many children, and through providing them with this education, it is possible to ease some of the problems that might come about from raising the children. It is also possible to use student leaders in presenting the information to their fellow students (Zimmerman et al, 2011). This consideration follows the fact that they are in a better position of making the program interesting, and that the teenagers are in a better position to accept the teaching due to the messages they get from the training. The program also involves the implementation of role-playing as well as other experimental activities that are necessary for enhancing the confidence of the students and their ability to keep away from risky situations. The overall goal of the program in this case is to ensure the prevention of unprotected sexual intercourse among the teenagers. It would also be vital to incorporate the male students into the programs. Through the incorporation, it will be possible to impart in them knowledge of some of the harms they might be causing the teenage girls, which takes into consideration the economic implications that might come about with the responsibility of raising a newborn. Evaluation methodology for use in the project Considering the low population in the area, this consists of about 600 people in the native reserve; the evaluation methodology should consist of the determination of the impact of augmenting the educational program. The educators will divide the student population groups, from the groups, it would be possible to impart the knowledge on some of the sexual encounters that the children are likely to come across. Moreover, through using the inoculation theory, it would be possible for the educators to instill suitable attitudes that might prevent the teenager involvement in preventing early sexual involvement. Some of the predictable outcomes from the implementation of the project include the following: The teenagers will be able to gain more knowledge on contraception Their attitudes towards sexual encounters are likely to change With the change in their attitudes, the expectation is that the teenagers are likely to delay the initiation of sex with their fellow teenagers; they are likely to increase the use of contraception as well as reduce the frequency of sex. Conclusion The development of the project takes note of the fact that the health priority of the members in the community is the alleviation of teenage pregnancy in their society. It is critical to come up with educational programs that will assist the teenagers in changing their attitudes towards sex. It is necessary to alter the teenagers’ attitudes towards sexual encounters since their economic conditions are in a poor state, which might make it difficult for them to raise kids. For this reason, the initiative that is likely to be more beneficial is the implementation of initiatives that will promote attitudinal change in the teenagers. References Hedgepeth, E., & Helmich, J. (1996). Teaching about sexuality and HIV: Principles and methods for effective education. New York: New York University Press. National Forum on Health. (1998). Making decisions: Evidence and information. Sainte-Foy, Québec: Éd. Multimondes Peoples, M. D., Daughtry, G. L. & Grimson, R. C. (2004). Evaluation of the effects of North Carolina improved pregnancy outcome project: Implications for state-level decision- making. American Public Health Association. Zimmerman, R., Gray, D. L., Anderman, E. M., Lane, D. R., & Cupp, P. K. (2011). Classroom goal structures and HIV and pregnancy prevention education in rural high school health classrooms. Journal of research on adolescence. 21(4), 904-922 Read More