Our Work - Health Promotion

Projects

Talking Realities

Talking Realities ….young parenting is an innovative school based, peer education program developed in South Australia. The program trains young parents as peer educators to share their stories and experiences with other young people and in so doing offers a realistic awareness of the potential short and long term consequences of pregnancy and parenting at a young age.

The presentation provides an important opportunity to challenge the stereotypical perceptions about why young women become pregnant. It is widely recognised that whilst programs in schools seek to improve young people’s knowledge of sexual health, pregnancy and birth issues, the important life issue of unplanned, early pregnancy has been largely neglected.

Kingston Bayside PCP purchased the program in 2004 with School Focused Youth Services funding, following which 3 year funding until June 2009 was secured through Dept Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Two community health centres have made significant contributions to the initial development and sustainability of this project, most particularly by providing substantial ‘in kind’ support through the provision of staff time and resources. Central Bayside Community Health Services have taken a leading role with the provision of funds for the appointment of a project coordinator, whilst two paid part-time peer leader positions provide leadership opportunities for peer educators wanting to extend their skills and experience. These peer leaders are mentored and supervised by the project coordinator.

A Talking Realities Steering committee was developed to support program development and build strong partnerships between local services. The committee has representation from a wide range of local community and educational organisations.

Talking Realities has 2 primary aims:

Young parents commit to a comprehensive training program and graduate as peer educators whilst also receiving TAFE accreditation for some of the subjects studied. For many this reconnects them with education for the first time since they became parents. They can then choose to build on these subjects and enrol in a TAFE course, thereby improving their future employment and career prospects.

Peer education is increasingly being used as an innovative health promotion strategy. Students report being “so much more aware of the challenges involved in parenting at a young age” and how much they appreciate young parents sharing their real life experiences.

The aim of ‘Talking Realities-young parenting’ is to encourage students to think about what is involved in parenting; like sleepless nights, knowing how to manage when they or their baby are sick, the responsibility and that not all young parents have family support.  Teenage parenting isn’t glamorised or presented in a negative light, but rather described realistically and honestly through the experiences of the presenters.

An extensive evaluation report collated in 2008, 'Talking Realities .....young parenting: A peer education program - An evaluation of three years of implementation in Victoria 2005 - 2008', demonstrates numerous benefits to all those associated with the program and provides clear evidence of its success.

Any enquires please contact:

Andrea Wittick,
CHN and Program Coordinator
Tel: 97819333
awittick@cbchs.org.au

Kirsty Brown
PCP Health Promotion Coordinator
Tel: 8587 0314
kbrown@cbchs.org.au

Educators in action in the classroom	Class of 2007
Class of 2005	Publicity launch 2006
Student Participation	Educators in action in the classroom