The Wyman Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is one of the few youth development curriculums geared for middle and high school students (ages 12-17) that has a strong research-base and allows flexibility to meet the individual needs of youth residing in urban and rural communities. The curriculum is packed in four age/state appropriate levels and includes a Welcome Handbook and a Community Service Learning Guide. Curriculum content includes: Values Clarification, Relationships, Communication/Assertiveness, Influence, Goal-Setting, Decision-Making, Human Development and Sexuality, and Community Service Learning.
The TOP Program continues to undergo rigorous national evaluation and has impressive results. These results include a 60% lower rate of school dropout, 33% lower rate of teen pregnancy, 14% lower rate of school suspension, and 11% lower rate of course failure (J.P. Allen, Susan Philliber, Scott Herrling, et al. “Preventing Teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure: Experimental Evaluation of a Developmentally-based Approach”. Child Development, 64: 729-742, 1997. The Wyman Teen Outreach Program approach has been recognized by: OJJDP’s “Model Programs Guide”, Rand Corporation’s Promising Practices Network – “Programs that Work”, The Brookings Institution – “Cost-Effective Investments in Children”, Harvard Family Research Project, National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine, and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
The three essential goals of the TOP program are Healthy Behavior, Life Skills, and Sense of Purpose.  CYC is currently the Iowa replication partner with the Wyman Center, and Amy Croll and Amelia Colwell Reedy are certified trainer of trainers in the TOP “Changing Scenes” curricula. CYC provides training, technical assistance, and required fidelity site visits to each of the TOP clubs annually. This work is currently funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health and individual agency contracts.
The Teen Outreach Program is currently reaching approximately 500 youth in Iowa, with clubs located in the following communities:
Mason City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Marshalltown, Iowa
Burlington, Iowa
Washington, Iowa (Fall 2013)
Des Moines, Iowa