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PEOPLE OFTEN HEAR BECAUSE WE SAY THE TOP PROGRAM IS A TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM
THEY THINK "OH, SEX ED" BUT IN FACT, IT IS NOT. IT'S HEALTHY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE LEARNING
AND THEY HEAR "SERVICE LEARNING" AND THEY SAY "OH, LIKE VOLUNTEERING" AND WE SAY "YES" BUT VOLUNTEERING ON STEROIDS
SERVICE LEARNING IS MORE THAN JUST VOLUNTEERING, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
TO REALLY DO AN INTENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY
THINK ABOUT WHAT ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT AND WHAT THEY LIKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON
AND DO PROJECTS RELATED TO THOSE ISSUES. THANKS TO FEDERAL FUNDING
HENNEPIN COUNTY IS ABLE TO OFFER THE TOP PROGRAM TO SCHOOLS AT NO COST
IT WAS VERY EASY TO IMPLEMENT TOP BECAUSE THE FACILITATORS ARE WELL TRAINED
AND THEY COME INTO THE CLASSROOM WITH THE CONTENT AND LESSONS
AND AS A CO-FACILITATOR YOU SUPPORT THE INFORMATION
AND HELP BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDE A SAFE AND
EDUCATIONAL SPACE FOR THE FACILITATORS TO COME INTO
THE PERSON IS THERE ALL DAY, DEVELOPS RELATIONSHIPS WITH KIDS, DEVELOPS RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF
I MEAN, THE GROWTH THAT YOU GET FROM THAT IS MORE THAN JUST THE STUFF OFF THE CURRICULUM
IT'S THE RELATIONSHIPS, IT'S THE BONDING, IT'S THE ENTIRE INTEGRATION OF THE PROGRAM
A LOT OF THE TOP IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR STUDENTS, THEIR VALUES, THEIR BELIEFS
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY'VE HAD
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET FROM KIDS IN THE CLASSROOMS ON ANY NORMAL DAY
I THINK WHAT THE STUDENTS HAVE GAINED FROM IT IS SELF AWARENESS, AND THEY GAINED CONFIDENCE
ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
THROUGH TOP, I NOTICED THAT STUDENTS ARE MUCH MORE ENGAGED AND PRESENT
THAN BEFORE THE GROUP AND THEY JUST WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN SCHOOL IN GENERAL
WHEN I STARTED TOP, I WAS A KID WHO WAS AT THE BACK OF THE CLASSROOM
STICKING TO MYSELF WITH MY MP3 PLAYERS BLASTING IN MY EARS
ONE DAY I JUST STARTED TO DECIDE TO PAY ATTENTION
AND TOPICS WERE JUST ROLLING OUT FROM THE TEACHERS, THEY HAD RELATED TO ME
YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO IN THE BEGINNING, THEY WERE REALLY LAID BACK, THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED
TOWARDS THE END YOU SEE THEM ENGAGED, YOU SEE THEM TALKING MORE
YOU SEE THEM BEING RESPECTFUL OF NOT ONLY THEMSELVES BUT THEIR PEERS
I CAN'T IMAGINE TURNING TOP AWAY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS IS
STRENGTHENING OUR CURRICULUM WITH RELEVANCE
KIDS SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE REAL WORLD AND THAT'S RELEVANT TO THEIR WORLD
WE TELL KIDS ALL THE TIME THAT WE WANT THEM TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT
STUDYING FOR OUR TESTS BUT ALSO WHEN THEY ARE WITH THEIR FRIENDS ON SATURDAY
WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SMART DECISIONS