Overview

Alternatives For Girls (AFG's) EmpowHer curriculum is a program for pre-and early middle school girls (ages 10-15). The curriculum is gender-specific (girls), youth-co-led, and innovative (using online platforms and digitized presentation of material that targets minority/high-risk African American and Latina girls). EmpowHer addresses four adulthood preparation subjects (APS), such as parent-child communication, healthy relationships, adolescent development, and healthy life skills, and is implemented as an after-school program.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

        Females in 6th - 8th grade who are 10 -15 years of age at the start of the study and
        residing in Detroit or Out Wayne County at the time of enrollment will be eligible to
        participate in the study.
        Exclusion Criteria:
        Participants who are currently utilizing other services from Alternatives For Girls (AFG)
        will not be eligible to participate and will be wait-listed until they are no longer
        receiving other services from AFG (i.e., after-school programs, summer day camps,
        mentoring, youth leadership programs, and shelter services). These services are unrelated
        to the study/sexual health education and do not include EmpowHer or Sassy Science. If
        siblings were to be enrolled, one would be randomly assigned, and the rest would be allowed
        to participate in the same group as the study sibling but not counted in the evaluation.
        This is to prevent possible contamination between conditions.