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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®)

Florida Department of Health in Glades County

  •  (863) 946-0707
  •  

    Fax

    (863) 946-3097
  •  

    Mailing Address

    P.O. Box 489  

    1021 Health Park Drive 

    Moore Haven, Florida 33471 

TOP®
Monthly Curriculum/Event Calendar

TOP® Monthly Calendar


Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) 

In partnership with the Children's Network of Southwest Florida, a certified replication partner of Wyman's Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®), the Florida Department of Health provides the Glades County community and school district with TOP®. Our goal is to maximize positive youth development, improve academic success, and reduce teen pregnancies.

What is TOP®?

Wyman's Teen Outreach Program® is a comprehensive youth development strategy that promotes the positive development of adolescents through a combination of curriculum-guided group discussion and community service learning. The program provides teens with the necessary supports and opportunities to prepare for successful adulthood and avoid problem behavior.

TOP® utilizes the Changing Scenes curriculum© in a classroom or a community setting. The curriculum features four flexible levels of curriculum, as well as an integrated community service learning guide. The four levels of curriculum are age-appropriate to the needs of adolescents enrolled in middle and high schools, are designed to be interactive, engaging and cover a wide variety of developmental topics of interest to teens.

Central to the success of the program is the community service learning component, requiring each student to participate in a community service project for a minimum of 20 hours. Class and project time is provided for each student to easily participate.

TOP® Goals

There are three goals in Wyman's TOP® that are the objectives for the youth participants. They include:

  • Healthy Behavior: TOP® helps young people develop health behaviors needed for achievement in school as well as life-long goals.
  • Life Skills: TOP® helps young people acquire valuable life skills to develop the necessary competencies and capacities to grow into the healthy, self-sustaining adults we all want them to be!
  • Sense of Purpose: TOP® gives young people a sense of purpose through reliable opportunities that allow them to contribute in meaningful ways through community service. A minimum of 20 hours of service is contributed toward a project of the teens choosing. Teens that complete

Comparisons

TOP® Participants Compared With Non-Participants:

  • 60% lower risk of academic course failure*
  • 52% lower risk of suspension*
  • 53% lower risk of pregnancy or fathering a child*
  • 60% lower school dropout risk**

* Allen, J. P. & Philliber, S. (2001). Who Benefits Most from a Broadly Targeted Prevention Program? Differential Efficacy Across Populations in the Teen Outreach Program. Journal of Community Psychology, 29 (6), 637-655.

**Allen, J. P., & Allen, C. W. (September, 2009). Escaping the Endless Adolescence: How We Can Help Our Teenagers Grow Up Before They Grow Old. New York: Random House.

Location

We are proud to be a part of Moore Haven Elementary School's 6th grade class.

Moore Haven Elementary School
401 Terrier Pride Drive
Moore Haven, FL 33471

Website: http://mhes.gladesedu.com/

Contact Information

For more information, parents or interested parties may contact Leo Rodriguez at the Department of Health in Glades County by calling (863) 674-4041, ext. 138.