We are pleased to announce the release of an exciting adaptation of the YES curriculum for Mexican American youth.
In 2014, the Monterey County Health Department implemented YES in Salinas, CA as a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STRYVE Program. The goal of the YES STRYVE Adaptation Project was to identify core components of the YES program and adapt the sessions, activities, and examples for their community. In Salinas, California, the YES program leaders adapted the curriculum to meet the needs of Mexican American youth.
The original curriculum was developed for African American youth, and so making it relevant for youth participants in Salinas, California was critical. For example, in the original YES curriculum, youth create traditional African masks and learn about cultural movements in African American history. In the Mexican American adaptation, youth create traditional Mexican altars as a way to help celebrate their Mexican cultural heritage and learn about the farmworkers movement.
We are now making these sessions available here on our website. These sessions are intended to be used in conjunction with the Youth Empowerment Solutions Curriculum, Second Edition.
The Mexican American cultural sessions include:
- Session 1.1: Welcome and Getting to Know You
- Session 1.2: Mexican Cultural Heritage and Altar Project
- Session 1.4: Teamwork and the Farmworker Movement
- Session 1.5: Learning about Leaders
- Session 2.1: Learning about the Community through Mexican Proverbs
- Session 2.2: The Mexican American Community & Media Stereotypes
We would like to thank the Salinas youth participants, and the Monterey County Health Department STRYVE program for preparing these materials and allowing us to make them available on our website for other communities.
If you are interested in implementing or adapting the YES curriculum for your community, please contact us.
