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Arts and Technology Academy - Carrera Trust Program
In partnership with the Children’s Aid Society, the Trust provides a unique program combining academic enrichment, career exploration, arts, sports and sexuality education as a means of comprehensively preventing teen pregnancy. The Carrera Trust model began in fall 2007 with the entire 5th grade class at the Arts and Technology Academy Public Charter School in Northeast DC (Ward 7).
Guided by a philosophy that sees youth as “at promise” instead of “at risk,” the Carrera Trust program takes a holistic approach to develop each participant’s capacity and desire to avoid pregnancy during their teen years and to complete their education and move on to higher education or career opportunities. The program works with youth during school, weekends, and summers for seven years, beginning in 5th grade and extending through high school graduation.
The program is currently integrated within the school day at the Arts and Technology Academy Public Charter School, where it serves over 145 fifth and sixth grade students. The program runs during the school day, Saturdays, and Summer. The pregnancy prevention program is supported by the Trust, the Children’s Aid Society and local private philanthropists. The DC Department of Health is a major partner in the program, as the program outcomes align with the District’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of young people.
The Carrera Trust model has seven components replicated from the nationally-recognized model developed by Dr. Michael Carrera of the New York-based Children’s Aid Society:
- Education – Students receive daily and weekend homework assistance and academic enrichment with trained teachers and tutors, individualized academic plans, and high school and college preparation.
- Job Club – Youth gain exposure to the world of work, earn weekly stipends, open individual bank accounts, and participate in entrepreneurial projects and summer job placement.
- Self-Expression – Youth gain the opportunity to discover talents and build self-esteem through music, dance, multimedia, and drama sessions led by art professionals.
- Lifetime Individual Sports – Youth participate in a fitness program emphasizing sports that build self-discipline and can be played throughout life, including golf, tennis, bowling, squash, and swimming.
- Family Life and Sexuality Education – Youth participate in age and stage-appropriate sexuality literacy instruction to learn the facts about puberty, improve communication with parents, and understand how to manage peer group pressure. Classes for parents and family members also are provided.
- Mental Health – Youth participate in weekly group discussions, individual counseling as needed, school and family visits, crisis intervention, referrals and case management.
- Medical and Dental Services – Students are provided with comprehensive, no-cost annual physicals and dental visits, including specialty care and reproductive health care and counseling.
The Carrera model is the nation’s only fully evaluated teen pregnancy prevention program with statistically proven effectiveness. It has led to a 50-percent reduction in birth rates and a multitude of other positive youth development outcomes, including increased likelihood of high school graduation and college admission; increased employment experience; more bank accounts; and increased use of private physicians instead of emergency rooms.