ECHO

ECHO (Educate Children for Healthy Outcomes) is a one-on-one early educational/mentoring program that seeks to recognize young people at risk for early childbearing, violence, drug and alcohol involvement, academic failure and other risky behaviors with a goal of empowering these youth to make healthy choices. Begun in 1999 as a proactive, front line defense against the  cycle of teen pregnancy, ECHO has grown to  expand its focus in positive ways by working to decrease internal poverty, increase self-esteem and self –worth, and improve body image. Research points to clear antecedents to early pregnancy and risky behavior; the children ECHO targets share those antecedents.  From 1999 to 2009, 721 young women who experienced one of the five antecedents for early childbearing (internal and external poverty, abandonment, past child sexual abuse, generational teen pregnancy, and questioning sexuality) were mentored. Only 3 of those young people experience a pregnancy; two were 18 years old and the other 17.

ECHO is unique in that it seeks to reach out to children before the children are at risk. 

PPT (Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program):  

Begun by Dr. Podgurski as a volunteer in the seventies, this program connects skilled mentors with young parents. Our primary goals are: supporting young parents through pregnancy and birth, modeling positive parenting, and helping young parents remain in school, graduate and obtain employment or advance their educations.

An example of the PPT’s success is our graduation. Nationally, teen parents graduate around 30% of the time, depending on the year. Our teen parents’ graduate in between 84 – 100% of the time; in 2017, 28 of our teen parents were eligible for graduation and 28 successfully completed their curricula and walked with their graduating classes!

Adolescent Advisory Board

Begun in 1999, the Board consists of 6 -10 high school students from count schools. The Board members meet monthly at the Washington Hospital, where the Community Room is packed with 70 plus energetic, dynamic teens. Each spring the Board conducts a Youth Conference where 9th graders are invited to attend while Board members facilitate on contemporary topics. Past Youth Conference topics have been Mental Health, Respect for Culture, and Drug/Alcohol Abuse. Pre/posttests at the conferences show an increase in cognition and affective responses to the topic.

common ground teen center

Located at 92 N. Main Street in Washington, PA, the Teen Center was opened in 2008.  The Teen Center is run by local teens; Dr. Podgurski hires and trains six – ten 17-18-year-old teens every May. Last year’s team mentors the new staff in June and the new team takes over in July. The teen staff are backed up by Dr. Podgurski’s W & J students and peer educator alumni under 25. All activities are teen driven. Teens 13 – 18 are always welcome.

The Center is open every Monday – Friday evening. The Center is open from 3:30 – 8 PM. Tuesday and Thursday nights the Center offers free tutoring. Special events, like Peer Educator Trainings, are held on the weekends.

Peer educators

Begun in 1995, these young people are trained to teach with Dr. Podgurski and her staff. A comprehensive, 12 hour training prepares young people to share their wisdom and find their voices. Teens teaching younger students – 7th graders are typically targeted – are an extremely effective way to help with message retention. Dr. Podgurski often says a message given by an older teacher is a whisper compared to the shout of a peer educator. To date, over 20,000 peer educators have been trained. They go on to become leaders in college as RAs and peer leaders, they move onto the military where they excel and quickly move up in rank, and they enter the workforce as managers and leaders. Peer Educators have taught professionals at national conferences with Dr. Podgurski since 1995. They meet every Thursday at the Common Ground Teen Center.