Location
Washington, DC
About the Organization
The Peer Education and Reproductive Counseling for Young Men (PERCY) program targets African-American males ages of 10-18 in the District of Columbia, Baltimore, MD, and Alexandria, VA.
Goal of the Project
Its goals are to help youth avoid premature fatherhood and to increase self esteem, abstinent behavior, condom use, and parent-child communication on sex.
Approach of the Project
PERCY combines educational sessions on teen sexuality with group mentoring and enrichment activities. The project also provides referrals for clinical family planning services, HIV testing, substance abuse treatment, and other social services. The program offers parents advice on helping their children make better decisions about sexual behavior. Young men are required to participate in project sessions, periodic enrichment activities, and other program events such as youth summits and conferences. Project activities are conducted in a number of settings including schools and recreational centers. The project also has a rigorous evaluation component which includes outcome and process procedures to assess progress and effectiveness. The PERCY project is based upon Bandura's Social Learning Theory, and the Social and Cognitive Skills prevention model.