Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE) is a national youth violence prevention initiative led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Four cities (Houston, TX, Boston, MA, Salinas, CA and Portland, OR) are carrying out community-level violence prevention strategies that are led by the local health departments. These communities chose to implement YES as a component of those approaches. YES faculty and staff are worked with the STRYVE program in two ways:
- Provided training and technical assistance to the four STRYVE locations as they implemented the YES program
- Evaluated the implementation and adaptation of the YES curriculum
STRYVE Trainings
YES staff and faculty trained staff from multiple organizations in each city to lead YES programs. The training began with webinars for STRYVE program leaders, followed by on-site sessions for front-line program staff. The trainers continued to provide technical assistance to the STRYVE sites as they implemented the curriculum and carried out their community-improvement projects.
YES Adaptation
YES faculty and staff worked with the CDC Foundation to guide and study the implementation and adaptation of the YES curriculum in these four STRYVE cities. The goal of the project was to create adaptation guidance that could be used by other organizations interested in adopting YES and tailoring the program to their own communities, while preserving the integrity of the original intervention.
The aims of the project were to identify the core components of the YES curriculum, consult on STRYVE grantees’ proposed adaptations, and provide technical assistance on the implementation of the program. The YES team also consulted with CDC staff on issues related to the adaptation and implementation of YES. This work resulted in the development of the YES Adaptation Guide. The guide is a resource for implementers of the YES program who wish to apply it among diverse populations and settings.
Adaptation Guide
The YES Adaptation Guide is now available for download. The guide was developed to assist organizations and communities in making decisions about selecting, implementing and adapting the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) program. It is designed for individuals who are responsible for choosing, supervising and carrying out youth programs. This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Youth Empowerment Solutions Curriculum. It includes sections on YES core components, assessing readiness to implement YES, determining the need for adaptations, designing adaptations, and reflecting on results.
