Build teen skills for sexual abstinence and protection
Teach RTR, receive $450 and $200 worth of RTR materials
About the RTRworks! Project
Project Overview
The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) has recently funded the RTRworks! project. The goal of this two-year project is to develop and evaluate an online training to help high school teachers (Grades 8-12) increase their ability to teach the Reducing the Risk: Building Skills to Prevent Pregnancy STD & HIV (RTR) curriculum. RTR is a 16-lesson, classroom-based curriculum that has been shown to delay the onset of intercourse and reduce the rate of unprotected sex among teens.
Project Rationale
Through research, we know that RTR is effective. We also know that educators who remain true to the curriculum achieve the best results. The RTRworks! Project will study how the unique web-based training program affects educators' skills and comfort level when teaching this pregnancy, STD and HIV prevention curriculum.
Benefits of Participation
The project team is looking for 9th-12th grade teachers throughout the United States and territories who can teach RTR in their classrooms in the fall of 2010.
Each teacher will receive:
A $450 stipend
The RTR curriculum and accompanying materials valued at $200, including:
- an RTR curriculum (teacher’s guide)
- student workbooks for your RTRworks! study class
- a supplemental activity kit, which includes all the material you need to successfully teach Reducing the Risk:
- 5 lesson reinforcement posters to enhance teacher effectiveness
- 3 traffic light posters to help students assess risk levels
- 15 risk behavior cards to spotlight risky behavior
- 40 color-coded roleplay cards
Teacher Requirements:
Teachers who choose to participate will be expected to teach the RTR curriculum in their classrooms using the teacher’s guide provided to them. Half the teachers will also have access to online support (see below). All participants will also fill out pre- and post-implementation questionnaires and complete short lesson logs after teaching each lesson.
Online support will include:
- 24/7 web access to important information about RTR – including its theoretical foundations, teaching tips for each lesson and modeling of key activities
- online collegial support and technical assistance
- the latest Web 2.0 advances to teach behavioral skills vital to the success of the curriculum
- unique opportunities for teachers to practice new behavioral skills and receive feedback, via interactive and engaging multimedia scenarios and simulations.
Half of the participants will have access to the online support while they are delivering the curriculum; the other half will have access after they complete their teaching.
We are also looking for school administrators who can help us find qualified teachers for this project, and, if needed, give approval for teachers to participate. If you are a superintendent or principal, or in any way responsible for the curricula used in your district, please review the material we have provided on this website. Contact us if you have questions, and pass on information about this project to high schools in your district.
questions?
For more information about the project, contact the project staff at:
Email: rtrworksproject@etr.org
Toll-free Phone:
877-316-7036
join now
If you are a teacher or administrator interested in participating, sign up now.
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