Our H.O.P.E. Team's HIV 101s

Here on H.O.P.E. Team, January was all about HIV 101s. Over the course of the month, we traveled to over 15 schools and recreation centers to teach DC’s youth about HIV/AIDS and safer sex.

Our HIV 101 curriculum is an hour long session that covers the fundamentals of HIV, including transmission and protection, while providing youth with resources for getting further information and testing. They allow us to reach students that are not receiving the Making Proud Choices! curriculum partnering with Metro TeenAIDS as well as review this crucial information with those students that have had the courses in the past.

HIV 101s also allow H.O.P.E. to engage with our Whole School Whole Child teams and to form new partnerships here in the city. We reached out to our three WSWC schools with sixth grade students to deliver HIV 101s. It was a great opportunity for us to see our fellow corps members at work and to meet some of their students while passing on the information our team focuses on.

H.O.P.E. has also reached out to many local recreation centers and Upward Bound (a college-prep program for minority students) that have been highly receptive to our HIV 101 program. The youth we have engaged so far at these after school initiatives have enjoyed and benefited from the time they spent with H.O.P.E. members. We are continuing to work with these new contacts to plan HIV 101s and larger events. These more comprehensive programs would allow us to connect not just with youth, but their families and communities, to expand the discussion on HIV and safer sex.