Participant Testimonials

Youth who have participated in our programs have the following to say:

Choices & Challenges

The thing I like most about this program is:

• "Getting to talk about the future."
• "Learning about our goals because once you write them down you are better at achieving the goal."
• "It teaches me about life."
• "It helps me make better choices."
• "Getting information about houses and education."
• "Doing the job applications to be what I want to be."

My favorite activity was...

• "Making the video, because I learned a lot of things about tobacco."
• "When we got to pick our car and house and take care of the babies, because it is important to know how to budget and take care of kids."
• "Listing the careers we like, because I like to plan my future."
• "When we got to do a house and job search simulation, because it was like we got to see into the future."
  

SMART Moves

"Being in SMART Moves has kept me out of trouble and has helped me to become more responsible. It increased my self esteem a lot and I wanted to take better care of my body. It stopped me from doing drugs and trying to commit suicide." - J.A.

"[SMART Moves] has kept me out of trouble and violence. Before SMART Moves I didn't really know about life skills, now I have a better idea of what that means. SMART Moves will help me out in the future by teaching me about the real world and what it takes to deal with people and situations that life has in store for me." - R.G.

"I learned to overcome my fear of speaking in front of others, by [SMART Moves] teaching me self esteem. I also learned the consequences of drugs, premarital and unprotected sex, and violence. I learned here what I want to teach my children, and what not to teach them. I also learned that violence solves nothing." - C.F.

"Before I started SMART Moves I didn't know that much about life skills, all I knew was that our bodies go through changes. SMART Moves has taught me how to be strong, when and how to say "no", and that there are a lot of people behind me who believe in me." - D.V.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Education

“I have learned a lot from this class and think it should be taught to every kid."

"I learned that one quarter of the sexually active teens have and STD (sexually transmitted disease) by the time they are 18."

"I thought this program was great!"

"It was fun learning all the ways you can say no to pressure to have sex."

"Thank you for teaching me why teens should wait to have sex. It taught me a lot."

"I really learned a lot in this class. This is a program teaches and shows us so much information that we would normally not learn or talk about."

Wake Up!

Essay quotes from youth who successfully completed the Wake Up!™ program:

“If I ever have a friend who is involved in the same thing I was, I would recommend the Wake Up! Program to them. So they can get the same education and guidelines as I have.”
— E.D.

“This program allowed me to actually see what I was doing and what could end up happening to me if I didn't change my ways. I would recommend this program to anyone. It really makes you think about what you are doing and could change or even save your life.”
— D.G.

“If I were to know someone entering this program, I would recommend it for its brutal honesty and ability to provide important information.”
— J.S.

“The slide show was a hug wake up call for me. What if it was me? What if I killed one of my best friends? What would my family have done without me? I couldn't believe that drugs and alcohol could cause such fatal tragedies.”
— C.S.

“The Wake Up! Program helped open my eyes, and I only hope that anyone sent to take it will feel the same way.”
— E.D.

Violence Is Preventable (VIP) Coalition

Members of the VIP Coalition reported the following:

• "I am a member because it's a great group, I can learn about violence and help everybody learn about violence."
• "We talk about what is to be decided and come to a conclusion everyone can agree on."
• "The benefits to members are the joy and accomplishment of seeing less violence in the community"
• "The main rule is to respect others and listen."
• "Volunteer leaders are people who come to meetings and offer to help out."
• "I feel we are a success from the feedback from community members that have participated and come to workshops."

Pima YOUTH Partnership (PYP) was incorporated in 1990 by a group of concerned citizens that wanted to connect rural communities with the same programs, services, and activities available to youth and families living in the metropolitan Tucson area.

As a prevention agency, PYP works with youth and families in rural and Native American communities to reach its mission, "In partnership with communities, develop resources to promote the positive growth of their children." Since 1990, PYP has grown from its original three (3) communities of Ajo, rural Marana, and Sahuarita, to include Catalina, Flowing Wells, New Pascua Yaqui Reservation, and the three (3) western districts of the Tohono O'odham Nation.