Start Strong Wichita Teens

First
Involvement

Catholic Charities first became involved in teen
dating violence prevention in 2003 when the agency volunteered to host the DELTA Grant (Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances) on behalf of the Wichita/Sedgwick
County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition (WDVSAC). Through DELTA and the established relationships with the
public schools and administration, Choose
Respect Clubs were established in all public middle and high schools in Wichita.

Beginning
With Choose Respect

Initially, Choose Respect Clubs were comprised of
several student leaders from each school. Twice a year, Choose Respect would
host all day workshops for the student leaders to learn about healthy
relationship skills and warning signs to would-be abusive relationships.

Developing
“Upstanders”

Each club was charged with meeting on a regular
basis and creating their own Choose Respect Campaign within their school. The
goal was to increase healthy relationship skills and decrease relationship
violence through education and willingness to be what is now called an “upstander” (empowered and activated bystander). Education
was also provided for school staff upon request as a means to support the
students in their effort to change the school climate.

Becoming “Start Strong” in Wichita

In 2008, Catholic Charities was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Start Strong
Grant of $1 Million over four
years. Catholic Charities partners with the Wichita Public Schools, The Wichita
State University, the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, the YMCA, and the
Boys & Girls Club (among others)to provide a comprehensive approach to
eliminating teen dating violence by employing all the ways kids are normally
influenced i.e. peers; family & caregivers; school; community; and media.

Besides continuing to promote Choose Respect Clubs in all 30 Wichita Public Schools at the
secondary level, Wichita
now also has

healthy
relationship curricula being taught in three target middle schools and two
high schools;
lessons
and activities in after school programs;
a
youth committee called TAP (Teens About Prevention) which helps
to direct the project made up of students from across the Wichita area,
three
drama troupes that travel around the community mostly presenting to other young
people but also for adults;
education
for parents and staff at three target middle schools;
collection
of data to evaluate effectiveness of the project’s community-wide events
such as