Teen Outreach Program Replication

CYC acts as the statewide replication partner for the Wyman Center’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP).  TOP is an after-school program based on the Wyman Center’s dynamic and engaging curriculum for middle and high school students.  TOP’s cost-effective approach is grounded in contemporary research and is nationally recognized for reducing problem behavior while empowering teens to lead successful lives and promoting healthy choices.

After undergoing rigorous nationwide evaluations, TOP has continually demonstrated impressive results with a 60% decline in dropouts, 33% decline in teen pregnancies, 14% decline in suspensions, and 11% decline in course failures among TOP students (Joseph Allen et al., “Preventing Teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure: Experimental Evaluation of a Developmentally Based Approach,” Child Development 68, no. 4 (1997): 729-742.).

These successes have led TOP to be recognized as an effective in cultivating healthy, positive behaviors among youth by organizations as diverse as the Brookings Institute, Harvard University’s Family Research Project, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and the Rand Corporation.

In our role as replication partner, we provide the necessary site visits, technical assistance, and training for organizations implementing TOP in Iowa.  This work is currently funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), as well as contracts with individual agencies across the state.  For more information about technical assistance or training related to TOP, please contact Mollie at [email protected]