The Foundation supports programs that address the developmental needs of youth and their families. We are particularly interested in programs that:

• Help youth develop the life skills, attitudes, and internal resources to make informed and responsible life choices.
• Provide opportunities for creative expression and physical well-being, and enhancement of individual strengths. Programs that foster leadership development are of particular interest.
  

Featured Grant:

PPMM - Teen Success Program  |  www.plannedparenthood.org/mar-monte

In pursuit of its mission to ensure that every individual has the knowledge, opportunity, and freedom to make every child a wanted child, and every family a healthy family, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (PPMM) conducts an array of education programs. PPMM's Teen Success is a unique youth development program that focuses on helping pregnant and parenting teens and their babies become resilient, self-sufficient, and productive citizens. The mission of Teen Success is to help teen mothers maintain their current family size until they complete their high school education. Through a weekly support group format, participants learn information, skills, and behaviors to prevent an additional pregnancy, develop skills to cope with the challenges of parenthood and adolescence, and receive encouragement to successfully finish their high school education. Additionally, participants gain essential skills in developing future goals and plans for themselves and their children. PPMM currently conducts 22 Teen Success groups at following California and Nevada locations: Bakersfield, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stockton, Salinas, Soledad, Watsonville, Eastside San Jose, Central San Jose, Gilroy, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Woodland, Yuba City, and Reno. Outside of PPMM, Teen Success is being replicated within other Planned Parenthood affiliates and in several National Crittenton Foundation agencies. There are groups located in Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; San Diego, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Crescent City, CA; Atlanta, GA; Helena, MT; Billings, MT. Teen Success was found by independent evaluation to be a promising program model that achieves program goals. Members have a repeat pregnancy rate of less than 2% as compared to national statistics of 20% or more. The program has a 21-year history of supporting pregnant and parenting teens and has been successful in helping participants delay a second pregnancy until they complete their high school, GED or vocational education. Since Teen Success began in 1990, more than 2,600 pregnant and parenting adolescents have participated in the program. An important enhancement to Teen Success is the Morgan Scholarship Fund, which was launched in 2000 by Becky Morgan, co-founder of Teen Success. Morgan Scholarships provide financial support to graduates of Teen Success who have chosen to further their education and/or acquire specialized trade skills to improve the quality of life for themselves and their children. Since 2000, over 200 Teen Success graduates have advanced their education beyond high school with Morgan Scholarship awards.