The Center has conducted educational programs to over 25,000 young people over the past eleven years. During this time, we have been able to change the course of many youths' lives, providing them with support, skills, and plans for the future.

Working closely with a wide range of young people, The Center has trained and mentored many to become peer leaders and peer educators - giving many the motivation, encouragement, knowledge and resiliency to build a career and enhance their lives.

Our Programs offer youth the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges affecting their lives. Led by an inter-generational group of educators, youth discuss issues concerning drugs, alcohol and sexuality with peers in a trusting environment. They build hands-on skills to avoid and reduce risk taking behaviors and to access health care with knowledge and confidence. Woven throughout all of our programs are activities to enhance self-confidence and strengthen social justice.

Our Peer Educator Trainings include team-building sessions that build leadership and communication skills, health education knowledge and career development experiences. Our trainings encompass a range of youth development principles that increase confidence, encourage an open exchange of ideas, and build lifelong skills. Youth develop new activities and practice co-leading educational sessions with other members of the team. After the training, peer educators conduct health education sessions in classrooms and community settings.

Evaluations of our programs demonstrate our strong track record of developing and conducting programs that are making a profound impact on the health and lives of the young people we reach.

Staff: The ethnically diverse staff of peer educators, young adult educators and adult educators at The Center have an extraordinary range of expertise and a keen understanding of the most effective strategies for addressing the challenging issues faced by young people. Our team has reached thousands of youth and adults throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and in national settings, receiving feedback such as:

• "You are saving lives"
• "This is a program on how to educate for Life"
• "This experience has given me the opportunity to work with my peers and make a real difference in their lives ... maybe even save a life
• "I have changed my own high risk behaviors from this training experience"
• "We wish you could be at our school full-time"