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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kara Beckman, BA, Health Access Program, Neighborhood House, 179 E. Robie St, St. Paul, MN 55107, 651-789-2507, kbeckman@neighb.org

Hablando Claro is a neighborhood-based initiative aimed at reducing teen pregnancy and STI rates. Promotoras are critical in the implementation of the Plain Talk strategy. These peer educators conduct reuniones de vecino a vecino to increase the knowledge and communication skills of adults around adolescent reproductive health. It is widely agreed that peer educators are good messengers of health information because they can transmit culturally appropriate messages and interact with community members. In Hablando Claro the peer educators are also trained to collect comprehensive and accurate data while capitalizing on the trust and social networks established within the community. Gathering assessment and baseline data has been both key in evaluating the program results and in creating a foundation for successful interventions. Through process evaluation, the professional skills of the promotoras are tracked throughout the program's three year cycle. In addition, program evaluation relies heavily on data collected by the promotoras through community interviews, pre and post tests, and qualitative observations.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Understand the different types of evaluation tools and how they feed into the short and long term goals of the program
• Identify how and why the promotoras gathered both qualitative and quantitative data to improve program effectiveness and impact evaluation.
• Recognize why promotora buy-in is important in the collection and documentation of data related to the evaluation of the program.
• Create a tool to evaluate promotoras’ professional development

Keywords: Community Health Promoters, Evaluation

Related Web page: www.plaintalk.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered