April 5, 2024
Every year, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) partners with local non-profits who are champions of improving the lives of youth and teens.
In a new weekly series, the CCUW will introduce the 2024 funded programs working in this impact area, highlighting how education is more than just grades and attendance.
This week – Council on Adolescents of Catawba County
By SAMANTHA GAMBILL
Catawba County United Way
The Council on Adolescents (COA) of Catawba County provides local students with a different type of education.
The COA is a nonprofit organization that provides healthy youth education programs to children across Catawba County and Hickory City Public school districts.
The Council on Adolescents mission is “to inspire today’s youth to be physically and emotionally healthy through education, awareness, and advocacy,” according to Council on Adolescents.
“We talk about peer pressure,” COA Executive Director Jordan Ledford said.
“It’s not just about puberty and reproductive health. We talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships, we talk about goals and risks, and setting those goals, and staying focused on those goals, and why you may not want to participate in risky activities.”
These state mandated courses are taught to children in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. There is also a booster course for 10th grade students. The courses are age-appropriate and medically accurate.
While these courses are state mandated, parent permission is required for student participation.
This past year the Council on Adolescents healthy youth program was able to educate over 5,000 students with ages ranging from 10-15.
|
African American |
Asian/Hmong |
Caucasian |
Latino/Hispanic |
Multi-Racial |
Native American |
Other Race |
Total |
|
733 |
359 |
3379 |
814 |
201 |
0 |
0 |
5,500 |
“Education is powerful,” Ledford said. “They do make good decisions if they have the correct information.”
Ledford has found that since the healthy youth act was passed in 2010, the number of teen pregnancies in Catawba County has decreased from 260 to 126.
The Council on Adolescents has been able to change the lives of these students through education.
When asked what the hardest aspect of the healthy youth program was, Ledford said time.
She wishes she had more time, and that she was able to add more to the curriculum. She wishes to give the children more information and resources so that they may help themselves have a better future.
Along with teaching the children, the healthy youth educators are also able to teach the parents.
“It’s a group effort; a village,” said Ledford.
Parent communication is crucial with the healthy youth program. The healthy youth educators encourage the students to go home and talk with their parents about what they have learned.
“The more you talk about it, the easier it’ll become,” Ledford said. She has been able to see an increase in parent involvement over the past 2 years, and she is very grateful for that.
“We want it to be a group effort alongside the parent,” Ledford said.
“We’re not trying to take over their job, but we have to do it in conjunction with each other.”
Her and her team of educators encourage parent communication. They encourage parents to reach out and communicate with them. They will go through the curriculum and watch the videos with them. They will even go through the daily lessons with the parents.
“The more information they know about the program, the better equipped they are to answer questions and talk with their students,” said Ledford.
“We’re just trying to help.”
For more information about the Council on Adolescents and their healthy youth program go to COA Healthy Youth or to learn how to become a healthy youth educator go to COA Healthy Youth Educators. They can also be contacted via phone at 828-999-9065.