Promoting Alternatives for Teen Health through Artes Teatro
Promoting Alternatives for Teen Health through Artes Teatro (PATH-AT) program at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, targets low-income high-risk adolescents. The PATH program is funded in part with federal funds, and in part with matching resources from Northridge Hospital and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
The goal is to provide primarily Latino youth with the information and skills to make healthy life choices and decrease the rate of pre-teen and teen unplanned pregnancies in the San Fernando Valley. The program recruits, hires and trains local high school students as Peer Educators/Mentors responsible for outreaching to high-risk adolescents.
In their role as peer educators, they are trained to conduct a series of after-school workshops for middle school students. Workshops emphasize abstinence, goal setting, self-esteem, coping with peer pressure, as well as physical fitness and nutrition.
A theatrical component brings plays and family theatre nights to the schools to reinforce the lessons taught. More than 500 middle school students are served at six school sites; thousands more are reached through community activities during the year.
The PATH-AT peer-led after school abstinence and fitness workshop series also include week-end family events, graduation conferences, parent workshops, participation in community health fairs and an evaluation component.
For more information on PATH-AT, or any of the community outreach programs at Northridge Hospital please call our Center for Healthier Communities at 818-785-3489.
Participating Schools
Teen Pregnancy Prevention:
Pacoima Middle School
Sepulveda Middle School
Van Nuys Middle School
Physical Fitness and Nutrition:
Columbus Middle School
Madison Middle School
Mulholland Middle School
