Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Partners
Community Based Organizations and Programs: Healthy Youth programs implement evidence-based programming to prevent teen pregnancy and sexual violence. In 2014-15, United Way will invest $674,000 in Healthy Youth programming at 14 organizations, proposing to serve more than 3,300 youth.
Colleges and Universities: United Way continues its collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Center for Urban Population Health to facilitate the Healthy Youth data project. In addition, United Way serves as an intern placement site, and placement for Public Ally members.
Local Media: United Way continues its public awareness campaign with SERVE Marketing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel keeps teen pregnancy on the front burner and continues to focus on the issue. Other media partners, like ClearChannel Outdoor, Marcus Theaters, CW18 and My 24, ensure the messages reach the community.
The Faith Community: Volunteers, representing many faiths, are working toward increasing the dialogue and capacity among religious institutions to directly impact the issue of teen pregnancy. To date, over 40 adults have been trained as facilitators of "Keeping it Real", a faith-based sexual health curriculum. In September 2011, United Way and Christ the King hosted a facilitator training - 14 more adults are now ready to implement the curriculum in four places of worship. Over 85 local teens have already graduated from the eight-week, intensive curriculum.
Collaborative Fund: In March of 2006, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Advisory Committee released its results at the United Way Women’s Initiative luncheon in the report If Truth be Told: Teen Pregnancy, Public Health and the Cycle of Poverty. This report resulted in nine core recommendations, including creating a collaborative funding strategy to create a strategic and effective community response to teen pregnancy. The Collaborative Fund committee supports programming that would enable us to reach an aggressive but achievable goal of reducing births to teens by 46% by the year 2015. In spring 2009, the inaugural Collaborative Fund launched with six members: Brico Fund, Faye McBeath Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Johnson Controls, Inc. Foundation, Rockwell Automation Foundation, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee. Between 2011-2013, 3 additional funders joined: Aurora Health Care Foundation, The Davis Family Fund, and The Daniel M. Soref Charitable Trust. Each funding partner contributes $50,000, and actively participates in the grant making process. To date, over $875,000 new dollars have been invested in community programs that address teen pregnancy and sexual violence prevention.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS): United Way worked with MPS and other community leaders to revise human growth and development (HGD) curriculum. Community members were given an opportunity to review the materials and make suggestions about content. Between 2009-11 fourth- and fifth-grade teachers received training in the new HGD curriculum. This training was supported by a grant from United Way. The goal is to have consistent and thorough implementation at all grade levels by 2012.
United Way Women's Leadership: Members of United Way's Women's Leadership program continue to turn their concern into action. Because of the generosity and strength of these women, United Way is able to support and grow the critical work of this initiative. In 2013, United Way’s Healthy Youth Initiative investment in in evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention and sexual violence prevention for young people of all genders increased to $671,000 because of the money this group raised. United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County's total Healthy Youth investment to date is over $5.5 million.