Community-Based Abstinence Education Program

The federal Family and Youth Services Bureau is accepting applications to provide support to public and private entities for the development and implementation of the Community-Based Abstinence Education program. The purpose of these programs is to educate young people and create an environment within communities that supports teen decisions to postpone sexual activity until marriage. Acceptable applications will be designed to provide abstinence-until-marriage education for adolescents aged 12 through 18. The anticipated number of awards is 50-60, with funding ranges between $250,000 and $600,000 depending upon the availability of funds and enactment of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 program appropriation.

Outcomes are the results of a program, typically describing a change in people or systems. For example, youth that participate in an abstinence education program may be more likely to commit to abstain from sex until marriage. Applicants are expected to measure the following outcomes:

• The number of youth who have never had sexual intercourse and remain abstinent following the abstinence education program
   
• The number of youth who have had sexual intercourse but have discontinued having sex following the abstinence education program. Successful applicants will include plans for measuring outcomes six months after completion of the abstinence education program
   
•  Beyond these two core outcome measurements, applicants are encouraged to evaluate even longer-term outcomes (for example, one-year, three-year, or five-year outcome