Possessing Your Power

Program Overview

Developer(s)

Original Developer: Creola Collins-Reese, B.A., M.A., PLPC
Model Developer and Purveyor: Lighthouse Outreach Incorporated

Program Summary

Possessing Your Power is a multi-component intervention program that focuses on character development and youth empowerment for adolescents. The program addresses nine risk behaviors, including drugs, alcohol, tobacco, premarital sex and teen pregnancy, violence/crime, pornography, gambling, school dropout, and technology/social media. The curriculum materials on sexual activity take an abstinence-centered approach.

Target Population

The program is designed for youth ages 10-18. The program serves “at-risk” youth grades 6-12 with a specific focus on middle school youth and males.

Program Setting

The program is designed to be delivered in a variety of settings, in or out of school, including community and faith-based settings, and mentoring and service learning programs. Possessing Your Power was evaluated in a community-based setting.

Contact and Availability Information

For curriculum, materials, and pricing information, please contact:

Lighthouse Outreach
29 Joynes Road
Hampton, Virginia 73666
Office: 757-827-7787
https://lighthouse-outreach.org (See Yes!Dare2Dream Curriculum)

For training and support, please contact:

See above.

Sample of curriculum available for review prior to purchase: Yes

Adaptation guidelines or kit available: Yes

Languages available: English

Program Components

Program Objectives

Possessing Your Power seeks to prevent and/or reduce sexual risk behavior by providing an open space for youth to discuss sensitive sexual health topics. The curriculum targets seven risky behaviors including drugs and alcohol use, sex before marriage, tobacco, violence and crime, pornography, and gambling. Possessing Your Power aims to develop positive attributes (such as self-esteem, diversity, tolerance) and skills (active listening, conflict resolution, positive decision-making and avoiding negative behaviors among participating youth.

Program Content

The program consists of nine topics organized into six sessions: The Power of Purpose, Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution, Bullying, Communication, Media Influence, Setting Boundaries & Taking Responsibilities, Choices Decisions Consequences & The Power of No, and Leadership Development. The six sessions are organized as below:

Topic: Illegal drugs. Creating a sense of purpose, creating an identity, creating a sense of belonging.
Topic: Alcohol, sex before marriage. Self-esteem focus, particularly as related to risky behaviors and suicide.
Topic: Tobacco. Conflict resolution and bulleting, how to handle anger, recognize diversity
Topic: Violence and crime. Effective interpersonal communication, media influence
Topic: Pornography. Choices, including setting boundaries, taking responsibility, consequences, and how to say no.
Topic: Gambling. Leadership, abstinence pledge, graduation ceremony.

Program Methods

Possessing Your Power uses video, demonstration, role plays, and group activities to deliver the program curriculum.

Implementation Requirements and Guidance

Program Structure and Timeline

Possessing Your Power consists of nine topics delivered in six two-hour sessions. The program can be adapted to be delivered between 2 and 6 weeks. When the program was evaluated, it was delivered in two or three 2-hour sessions per week occurring over two or three weeks for a total of six sessions. In some cases it was delivered in three two-hour sessions over two weeks. See the PYP website (www.possessingyourpower.org/aboutpyp) for additional information.

Staffing

The program is designed to be delivered as group sessions by a certified facilitator at a community-based organization. The required or suggested staffing for the program is as follows:

1 Certified Facilitator is required for up to 20 youth. The program required an additional facilitator to be trained for any groups of more than 20.
Facilitators are required to complete the PYP Certification training and the YD2D! protocol certification.
Facilitators must be trained adults who have proven success with youth and family engagement. They must be respectful, knowledgeable and logistics of each group i.e. attendance, documentation, preparation of materials and classroom protocol.
Facilitators must have training and knowledge of positive youth development approaches.

Program Materials and Resources

Yes Dare To Dream provides the following tools and resources for delivery of the PYP Curriculum:

PYP curriculum workbooks for students
Facilitators Training Manual
Video design scenarios
Data Collection Site
Data Collection Tools

Additional Needs for Implementation

Materials/space needed are a DVD player and PYP student manuals. A comfortable space with tables and chairs is suggested for the successful implementation of the program.

Training and Staff Support

Staff Training:

The developer requires a 4-day pre-implementation training, conducted by the Possessing Your Power Trainers. The training cost to become a partner is $8,500.00. This includes space for the facilitator program coordinator to attend an in-person training (travel and other cost are not included), up to 5 sets of curriculum and start-up technical assistance. Additional staff can be added for $750.00 per facilitator. After the start-up year, partners can pay a fee of $3,500.00 annually for ongoing replication.
Training topics consist of: 1) Overview of the PYP Curriculum; 2) HIV, STIs, and teen pregnancy; 3) Life skills, including decision making, communication, and refusal skills; 4) Self Esteem; 5) Healthy relationships; 6) Yes Dare 2 Dream Protocols.
The training utilizes lesson demonstration and modeling, interactive lesson practice and instant feedback. Trainers also cover strategies for dealing with sensitive issues and handling classroom controversy, guidelines for adapting curriculum to ease implementation, strategies for addressing implementation challenges, and action planning for effective implementation.

Technical Assistance and Ongoing Support:

Trained facilitators have access to an online Booster power point presentation that reviews the core components of PYP and offers best practice tips and support.

Allowable Adaptations

LOI works with partner sites on adaptations of the program. All adaptations must receive prior approval. Contact Lighthouse Outreach Incorporated or details on the adaptation request and guidelines process.

Implementation Readiness Assessment

The review team conducted an independent assessment of the program’s readiness for implementation. This assessment is based on the team’s review of available program materials and documents. The team also requested input from program developers and distributors about the availability of implementation materials and resources.

On the basis of this assessment, the team calculated an implementation readiness score comprised of three component scores: (1) curriculum and materials, (2) training and staff support, and (3) fidelity monitoring tools and resources. The component scores are combined into a total score, which ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating the programs most ready to implement.

Curriculum and Materials

Has defined curriculum with lesson plans and/or activities?	Yes
Has defined core or required components?	Yes
Has facilitator’s guide or instructions?	Yes
Component Score	3/3

Training and Staff Support

Formal pre-implementation training (by qualified trainers) available?	Yes
Supplemental training or ongoing technical support available?	Yes
Component Score	2/2

Fidelity Monitoring Tools and Resources

Has defined logic model?	Yes
Defines fidelity guidelines and benchmarks?	Yes
Offers monitoring and evaluation tools?	Yes
Component Score	3/3

Total Implementation Readiness Score

8/8

Reviewed Studies

Citation	High-Quality Randomized Trial	Moderate-Quality Randomized Trial	Moderate-Quality Quasi-experiment	Low Study Rating	Did Not Meet Eligibility Criteria
JK Tanner Inc. 2016		Yes✔

Notes

Study Characteristics

Citation	Setting	Majority Age Group	Majority Racial/Ethnic Group	Gender	Sample Size
JK Tanner Inc. 2016	After school/Community based	14 to 17	African American	Both	1,989

Notes

Information on study characteristics is available only for studies that received a high or moderate rating. Read the description of the review process for more information on how these programs are identified.

Study Findings

Citation	Sexual Activity	Number of Sexual Partners	Contraceptive Use	STIs or HIV	Pregnancy
JK Tanner Inc. 2016

Citation	Details
JK Tanner Inc. 2016	The program was evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 1,989 adolescents ages 13 to 17 recruited from 48 community-based organization summer programs (clubs) in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Each club was randomly assigned to one of three research conditions: a treatment group receiving the Possessing Your Power intervention, a treatment group receiving the Choosing the Best intervention, or a control group receiving a program on career exploration and college preparation. The study collected data with surveys administered before the start of the intervention (baseline), and again 6 and 12 months after the end of the intervention. In this study, researchers examined program impacts on a measure described as “risky sexual behavior”. That measure is a binary variable that takes the value of 1 if the adolescent had unprotected sex, meaning the adolescent did not use a condom or birth control every time for recent sexual activity (in the past three months), and takes the value of 0 if the adolescent used a condom or birth control every time for recent sexual activity or if the adolescent avoided sexual activity in the previous three months. Six months after the program ended, researchers found that adolescents participating in the intervention who were sexually inexperienced at baseline were less likely to report that they did not use a condom or birth control every time for sexual activity in the past three months than their counterparts in the control group (odds ratio = 0.31, confidence interval = 0.19 to 0.52). The study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on that outcome six months after the program ended for either the full sample or the subgroup of adolescents who reported being sexually experienced at baseline. Twelve months after the program ended, the study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts for the full sample on using a condom or birth control every time for sexual activity in the past three months.

Citation

Details

JK Tanner Inc. 2016

The program was evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 1,989 adolescents ages 13 to 17 recruited from 48 community-based organization summer programs (clubs) in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Each club was randomly assigned to one of three research conditions: a treatment group receiving the Possessing Your Power intervention, a treatment group receiving the Choosing the Best intervention, or a control group receiving a program on career exploration and college preparation. The study collected data with surveys administered before the start of the intervention (baseline), and again 6 and 12 months after the end of the intervention.

In this study, researchers examined program impacts on a measure described as “risky sexual behavior”. That measure is a binary variable that takes the value of 1 if the adolescent had unprotected sex, meaning the adolescent did not use a condom or birth control every time for recent sexual activity (in the past three months), and takes the value of 0 if the adolescent used a condom or birth control every time for recent sexual activity or if the adolescent avoided sexual activity in the previous three months.

Six months after the program ended, researchers found that adolescents participating in the intervention who were sexually inexperienced at baseline were less likely to report that they did not use a condom or birth control every time for sexual activity in the past three months than their counterparts in the control group (odds ratio = 0.31, confidence interval = 0.19 to 0.52). The study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on that outcome six months after the program ended for either the full sample or the subgroup of adolescents who reported being sexually experienced at baseline.

Twelve months after the program ended, the study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts for the full sample on using a condom or birth control every time for sexual activity in the past three months.

Notes

Some study entries may include more than one citation because each citation examines a different follow-up period from the same study sample, or because each citation examines a different set of outcome measures on the same study sample. A blank cell indicates the study did not examine any outcome measures within the particular outcome domain or the findings for the outcome measures within that domain did not meet the review evidence standards.

Information on evidence of effectiveness is available only for studies that received a high or moderate rating. Read the description of the review process for more information on how these programs are identified.