Teen Prevention Education Program (PEP)

The Teen Prevention Education (Teen PEP) is a comprehensive, sexual health program that utilizes peer-to-peer education to increase students´ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors associated with healthy decision-making.

The program model is designed to:

• Offer stakeholder teams effective resources and strategies to create a culture of positive peer pressure where responsible sexual decisions are valued
• Provide faculty advisors with increased knowledge and abilities to effectively teach sexual health to students in an atmosphere of mutual respect
• Give peer educators the information, communication skills, and confidence to be effective sexual health advocates and leaders among their peers
• Equip students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to avoid STIs, HIV and unintended pregnancy
• Provide parents/guardians with the knowledge and skills to appropriately discuss sex and sexuality with their children

Teen PEP is implemented in high schools as a course for-credit that meets daily (or the equivalent) and in organizations as an after-school program. Carefully selected junior and/or senior students are enrolled in the Teen PEP course and provided with educational training that addresses a range of topics related to sexual health. The peer educators, in turn, conduct a series of structured workshops with groups of younger peers, faculty, and parents.

Teen PEP is a voluntary program that is implemented across New Jersey and North Carolina. The program was developed in 1995 through a collaboration of the Princeton Center for Leadership Training, HiTOPS, Inc., and the primary sponsor, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

Recent Evaluation Results

A study by Rutgers University over 2000-2003 and a follow-up by John Hopkins University in 2009 demonstrated the major learning improvements brought about by effective peer education methods.

For more information visit www.teenpep.org