Documenting Best Practices in Youth Programs in Mexico and Latin America

From 2004-2007 IPPF/WHR undertook a project to strengthen SRH programs for youth in Mexico and throughout the region by documenting successful strategies for working with youth increasing. The project incorporated eight case studies by Mexican NGOs– Catholics for the Right to Decide (CDD), Afluentes, Elige and the Simone de Beauvoir Institute (ILSB) -and IPPF/WHR member associations (INPPARES, Profamilia –Colombia, Profamilia – Puerto Rico and MEXFAM). The case study evaluated six distinct strategies used to improve sexual and reproductive health of young people: • Partner with governments to share the fine-tuned expertise of youth organizations and improve the quality of the public health system; • Establish school-based programs that link education and services to integrate educational activities and basic SRH medical services; • Promote youth leadership to strengthen peer education and create opportunities externally and internally for youth to practice their leadership skills, as well as to create mechanisms for youth to refresh their skills; • Create networks to mobilize and support youth activists that youth can participate in over time, maintaining the bonds young people create at trainings, keeping up their enthusiasm, and sharing ideas and technical information to support activities that youth would otherwise have to do in isolation; • Develop tools to reach vulnerable youth that speaks their language and is sensitive to their particular needs; The organizations were strengthened by the insights that accompanied the process of documenting and evaluating a practice and now have strong evaluation results that will improve programs on an ongoing basis.