And Technical Leadership In Peer Education Maryanne Pribila and Hally Mahler

1. Good morning. I�m Maryanne Pribila of the BCC unit at YN. Today Hally Mahler and myself are going to share information about YPEER and YouthNet�s technical leadership in peer education. Most of you have heard us talk about YPEER, but just as a reminder: YPEER is a project that was designed to build the capacity of NGOs implementing PE in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It�s a project on which we have collaborated with UNFPA since the beginning of YouthNet, 3 years ago. Y-PEER is now a thriving network of NGOs, linked through electronic resources and in-person training events. So now I will first share with you some of the the successes of YPEER. Then Hally will give an overview about how these successes feed into YN�s role as a technical leader in PE. Good morning. I�m Maryanne Pribila of the BCC unit at YN. Today Hally Mahler and myself are going to share information about YPEER and YouthNet�s technical leadership in peer education. Most of you have heard us talk about YPEER, but just as a reminder:

2. Accomplishments 1.7 million young people reached 4,000 peer educators trained 191 NGOs joined the network 27 countries adopted and adapted Y-PEER tools 10 countries are self-sustaining in their activities As you can see, in the 3 years of implementation, Y-PEER has made substantial headway. In the process of building the capacity of NGOs to implement PE in the region, we�ve seen: Overall, what has developed is a methodological approach. Today, I�m going to give an overview of the components of this approach because it reflects the activities that YN has collaborated on with UNFPA. As you can see, in the 3 years of implementation, Y-PEER has made substantial headway. In the process of building the capacity of NGOs to implement PE in the region, we�ve seen: Overall, what has developed is a methodological approach. Today, I�m going to give an overview of the components of this approach because it reflects the activities that YN has collaborated on with UNFPA.

3. What Y-PEER�s Approach? Network creation Local and regional trainings Youth participation and partnerships with adults Tools available for translation and cultural adaptation Four years ago when UNFPA did their initial assessment which led to the design of Y-PEER, it was clear that PE could be easily compromised. Everyone wanted to do �peer education� but some groups didn�t even know what it was. Trainings were haphazard; guidance and support were slim from NGOs; and projects often targeted only mainstream youth, though the epidemic was among especially vulnerable groups. Y-PEER conducted activities to meet the needs and fill the gaps identified in the initial assessment. It is now readily accepted and promoted. The 4 components include: (read slide) We used a bottom up approach to create demand. Let�s look at all the components on their own� though they are not in any specific orderFour years ago when UNFPA did their initial assessment which led to the design of Y-PEER, it was clear that PE could be easily compromised. Everyone wanted to do �peer education� but some groups didn�t even know what it was. Trainings were haphazard; guidance and support were slim from NGOs; and projects often targeted only mainstream youth, though the epidemic was among especially vulnerable groups. Y-PEER conducted activities to meet the needs and fill the gaps identified in the initial assessment. It is now readily accepted and promoted. The 4 components include: (read slide) We used a bottom up approach to create demand. Let�s look at all the components on their own� though they are not in any specific order

4. Building A Network Face-to-Face Trainings Meetings Virtual Video conferencing www.youthpeer.org Email lists Country portals The Network can appear almost abstract. How can you link hundreds of NGOs? But the activities that support the network provide the glue. They can see and talk to each other through trainings and meetings. In between the face-to-face contact, there are video conferences and regular contact via the website and email lists. Nationally, each country has it�s own web portal via the website, in their own language. And the website is a gateway to news and a warehouse of the largest collection of peer education materials and resources we know of. The Network can appear almost abstract. How can you link hundreds of NGOs? But the activities that support the network provide the glue. They can see and talk to each other through trainings and meetings. In between the face-to-face contact, there are video conferences and regular contact via the website and email lists. Nationally, each country has it�s own web portal via the website, in their own language. And the website is a gateway to news and a warehouse of the largest collection of peer education materials and resources we know of.

5. Trainings and Meetings Second, Y-PEER coordinates and conducts a number of trainings for different levels of peer educators and stakeholders. We used the pyramid model, which also helps peer educators themselves as they move along the continuum. First there are basic peer education trainings (which happen in country), then TOT�s, later capacity building in technical areas � youth participation, website management and content development, program management, theatre techniques, standards development, and EVYP. Trainings have been found to be critical not only because they build capacity in areas that are not locally available, but in building cohesion among the network, sharing experiences, and keeping members motivated. Second, Y-PEER coordinates and conducts a number of trainings for different levels of peer educators and stakeholders. We used the pyramid model, which also helps peer educators themselves as they move along the continuum. First there are basic peer education trainings (which happen in country), then TOT�s, later capacity building in technical areas � youth participation, website management and content development, program management, theatre techniques, standards development, and EVYP. Trainings have been found to be critical not only because they build capacity in areas that are not locally available, but in building cohesion among the network, sharing experiences, and keeping members motivated.

6. Youth Participation and Youth-Adult Partnerships Throughout Y-PEER youth are at the center. They are called upon to take key roles in training, giving feedback, and developing new materials. I�m going to show a 30 second promotional video developed last fall. It will give you an example of the products of youth participation. (play video) Y-PEER Focal Points developed the message seen here and reflected in the brochures and posters. Because there is a structure in Y-PEER trainings, trainers know their roles and take them seriously. Empowerment and advocacy have also play a large role. When equipped with skills to advocate on behalf of quality peer education, focal points take it on as a responsibility and have learned to work with adults in the process. I remember in Serbia, when a focal point negotiated with USAID to make sure that they budgeted for 2 trainers for the TOT they were planning. They wanted her to use one, and cut her budget but she convinced them that one trainer would compromise the quality of the training, that it two trainers were standard for Y-PEER trainings. Throughout Y-PEER youth are at the center. They are called upon to take key roles in training, giving feedback, and developing new materials. I�m going to show a 30 second promotional video developed last fall. It will give you an example of the products of youth participation. (play video) Y-PEER Focal Points developed the message seen here and reflected in the brochures and posters. Because there is a structure in Y-PEER trainings, trainers know their roles and take them seriously. Empowerment and advocacy have also play a large role. When equipped with skills to advocate on behalf of quality peer education, focal points take it on as a responsibility and have learned to work with adults in the process. I remember in Serbia, when a focal point negotiated with USAID to make sure that they budgeted for 2 trainers for the TOT they were planning. They wanted her to use one, and cut her budget but she convinced them that one trainer would compromise the quality of the training, that it two trainers were standard for Y-PEER trainings.

7. Peer Education Tools TOT Manual Advocacy Kit Ice Breaker Cards CyberPeer CD-ROM Lastly we have tools: In the original assessment, UNFPA found 185 NGOs doing PE in the region. During the assessment, over 700 manuals for PE were identified, most didactic and medicalized. Yet, when NGOs were asked what the most important thing they need to do their job, they still said �a manual�. The first tool completed was a 6-day PE TOT manual. It uses a participatory methodology and included much more than technical information about AIDS. Demand has been massive. Now it�s translated into 13 languages and still other regions have asked to translate it into Spanish and Arabic. Other tools that have been completed for YPEER include an advocacy kit, developed in partnership with Advocates for Youth, and Ice Breaker Cards, which provide instructions for practical exercises PE can do on their own. Hally will talk more about other tools in development later.Lastly we have tools: In the original assessment, UNFPA found 185 NGOs doing PE in the region. During the assessment, over 700 manuals for PE were identified, most didactic and medicalized. Yet, when NGOs were asked what the most important thing they need to do their job, they still said �a manual�. The first tool completed was a 6-day PE TOT manual. It uses a participatory methodology and included much more than technical information about AIDS. Demand has been massive. Now it�s translated into 13 languages and still other regions have asked to translate it into Spanish and Arabic. Other tools that have been completed for YPEER include an advocacy kit, developed in partnership with Advocates for Youth, and Ice Breaker Cards, which provide instructions for practical exercises PE can do on their own. Hally will talk more about other tools in development later.

8. Lessons Learned Demand can be created by providing core tools and resources Highly creative field Capacity building works Before I move on I want to highlight three of the practical lessons learned from Y PEER that lend themselves to expanding the network. First -- demand and responsibility for quality peer education can be created from the ground up by making materials and training available to young implementers Second -- the field is immensely creative and can inspire imaginative and resourceful ways to strengthen and compliment these basics (we would need another presentation about the songs, spokes people enlisted, PE exchanges that have happened within the network) Third -- maybe most importantly capacity building can lead to sustainable programs � i.e. NGOs have found new sources of funding that they are now capable of competing for and winning. With almost 30% of the countries finding funds independent of UNFPA in only 3 years, we�ve surpassed even our own expectations. (List from Sasha � 7 sustainable, 3 almost there. Serbia, B&H, Maldova, Georgia, Romania �) You could also talk about the role of TA to help move NGOs from focusing on the �easy� target audience mainstream youth � to finding ways to reach vulnerable youth driving epidemic. And role YN had in integrating RH components which are critical in low prevalence countries, where risk perception and actual risk of HIV is still low for mainstream youth�. Before I move on I want to highlight three of the practical lessons learned from Y PEER that lend themselves to expanding the network. First -- demand and responsibility for quality peer education can be created from the ground up by making materials and training available to young implementers Second -- the field is immensely creative and can inspire imaginative and resourceful ways to strengthen and compliment these basics (we would need another presentation about the songs, spokes people enlisted, PE exchanges that have happened within the network) Third -- maybe most importantly capacity building can lead to sustainable programs � i.e. NGOs have found new sources of funding that they are now capable of competing for and winning. With almost 30% of the countries finding funds independent of UNFPA in only 3 years, we�ve surpassed even our own expectations. (List from Sasha � 7 sustainable, 3 almost there. Serbia, B&H, Maldova, Georgia, Romania �) You could also talk about the role of TA to help move NGOs from focusing on the �easy� target audience mainstream youth � to finding ways to reach vulnerable youth driving epidemic. And role YN had in integrating RH components which are critical in low prevalence countries, where risk perception and actual risk of HIV is still low for mainstream youth�.

9. Going Global Demand from other regions Y-PEER approach in place Tools ready for distribution With these lessons in hand, during this next year, we will take Y PEER global. We�ve seen high demand from other regions. More than half of the visitors to the website are from outside the region. Both UNFPA and YN have heard from Latin America and Africa that as peer education continues to grow and remains very popular, more tools and assistance are needed. Y PEER�s approach of the network, trainings, and YP is well developed and ready for wider use. By having a centrally coordinated initiative; groundwork was being laid all along for it�s potential expansion. When tools were developed - demand and field testing was regional, but all are designed around core evidence and best practices from around the world. The components are all essential and easily adapted. In the coming months, we will begin to assess PE in countries to find key NGOs and potential members. They will be introduced to YPEER at our next TOT scheduled for Egypt in August. Now Hally is going to explain how our experiences with YPEER contribute to YN�s role as a technical leader in PE and the other PE activities outside of YPEER that YN conducts. With these lessons in hand, during this next year, we will take Y PEER global. We�ve seen high demand from other regions. More than half of the visitors to the website are from outside the region. Both UNFPA and YN have heard from Latin America and Africa that as peer education continues to grow and remains very popular, more tools and assistance are needed. Y PEER�s approach of the network, trainings, and YP is well developed and ready for wider use. By having a centrally coordinated initiative; groundwork was being laid all along for it�s potential expansion. When tools were developed - demand and field testing was regional, but all are designed around core evidence and best practices from around the world. The components are all essential and easily adapted. In the coming months, we will begin to assess PE in countries to find key NGOs and potential members. They will be introduced to YPEER at our next TOT scheduled for Egypt in August. Now Hally is going to explain how our experiences with YPEER contribute to YN�s role as a technical leader in PE and the other PE activities outside of YPEER that YN conducts.

10. Technical Leadership in Peer Education What is needed? Evidence base on peer education Mechanisms to build capacity Tools that are adaptable Wide dissemination of the above At the beginning of YouthNet we knew that: Peer education is being implemented all over the world. That in many ways, youth programs lend themselves very well to the peer education methodology. There is some evidence that peer education can produce improved health outcomes. We also knew that many programs were being called peer education, but they very little resembled the technical definition of peer education. This is not to say that there aren�t wonderful programs calling themselves peer education, when really they are a sort of �young adult to young youth mentor education�. But often we were finding examples of PE programs where in-school youth were conducting peer education with sex workers or IDUs. And we know from experience and evidence that these approaches don�t work. We decided that YouthNet could contribute to global technical leadership in peer education by: Contributing to the evidence base on peer education � and you heard Gary talk about these. Identifiying and helping to implement mechanisms to build capacity in PE, especially those that can be taken to scale � and you heard Maryanne talk about Y-PEER, one of the best examples of this. Now I�m going to talk to you about the remaining areas: Tested tools � that are adaptable for language, country, audience, context, etc. AND the wide dissemination of all of the above. These are the two areas in which we expect to make major contributions before the YouthNet project ends. At the beginning of YouthNet we knew that: Peer education is being implemented all over the world. That in many ways, youth programs lend themselves very well to the peer education methodology. There is some evidence that peer education can produce improved health outcomes. We also knew that many programs were being called peer education, but they very little resembled the technical definition of peer education. This is not to say that there aren�t wonderful programs calling themselves peer education, when really they are a sort of �young adult to young youth mentor education�. But often we were finding examples of PE programs where in-school youth were conducting peer education with sex workers or IDUs. And we know from experience and evidence that these approaches don�t work. We decided that YouthNet could contribute to global technical leadership in peer education by: Contributing to the evidence base on peer education � and you heard Gary talk about these. Identifiying and helping to implement mechanisms to build capacity in PE, especially those that can be taken to scale � and you heard Maryanne talk about Y-PEER, one of the best examples of this. Now I�m going to talk to you about the remaining areas: Tested tools � that are adaptable for language, country, audience, context, etc. AND the wide dissemination of all of the above. These are the two areas in which we expect to make major contributions before the YouthNet project ends.

11. Adaptable Tools PE TOT Manual Advocacy Kit Ice Breaker Cards CyberPeer CD ROM Theatre-based Training Standards in PE Performance Improvement for PE Managers Handbook for the Evaluation of PE Programs One of the most requested materials that came out of the AIDSCAP project back in the 90s is the handbook, �How to Create an Effective Peer Education Project.� It highlighted the need for easy-to-use materials. We know from the Y-PEER experience that there are lots of peer education manuals out there� but peer education is not only about training� there are management issues� a variety of PE approaches that need to be addressed� assessment and evaluation issues� and issues of standardization and ethics in PE. The materials created via the Y-PEER project � consultatively � offer us the opportunity to create a toolkit of important tools and documents in youth peer education. The idea here is that the toolkit, which will not be specific to Y-PEER anymore since the materials are being adapted to a global audience and made available beyond the Y-PEER network, will draw on existing materials that have come out of Y-PEER, as well as adding several new materials. Maryanne talked about the TOT manual, the advocacy kit, the ice breaker cards, and the CyberPeer CD-ROM. Two additional materials that are about to come out of the Y-PEER pipeline are a manual for theater-based training for peer education, and a document discussing standards and ethics in peer education. These are both in draft and we are hoping that they will be available in the late summer. Here at YouthNet, we are hard at work on two additional materials. This includes an adaptation of INTRAH�s Performance Improvement Guide � in our case � adapting it for PE Managers. The other thing will be Gary�s Handbook for the Evaluation of PE Programs � which is expected to be a product of his research. We are excited about this toolkit. At the moment we are talking with UNFPA about how to produce it. We know that there will definitely be an electronic version. But we are hoping to have print versions of the toolkit as well. One of the most requested materials that came out of the AIDSCAP project back in the 90s is the handbook, �How to Create an Effective Peer Education Project.� It highlighted the need for easy-to-use materials. We know from the Y-PEER experience that there are lots of peer education manuals out there� but peer education is not only about training� there are management issues� a variety of PE approaches that need to be addressed� assessment and evaluation issues� and issues of standardization and ethics in PE. The materials created via the Y-PEER project � consultatively � offer us the opportunity to create a toolkit of important tools and documents in youth peer education. The idea here is that the toolkit, which will not be specific to Y-PEER anymore since the materials are being adapted to a global audience and made available beyond the Y-PEER network, will draw on existing materials that have come out of Y-PEER, as well as adding several new materials. Maryanne talked about the TOT manual, the advocacy kit, the ice breaker cards, and the CyberPeer CD-ROM. Two additional materials that are about to come out of the Y-PEER pipeline are a manual for theater-based training for peer education, and a document discussing standards and ethics in peer education. These are both in draft and we are hoping that they will be available in the late summer. Here at YouthNet, we are hard at work on two additional materials. This includes an adaptation of INTRAH�s Performance Improvement Guide � in our case � adapting it for PE Managers. The other thing will be Gary�s Handbook for the Evaluation of PE Programs � which is expected to be a product of his research. We are excited about this toolkit. At the moment we are talking with UNFPA about how to produce it. We know that there will definitely be an electronic version. But we are hoping to have print versions of the toolkit as well.

12. Research and Tools to Practice Research results in scientific literature Disseminating the PE tools through networks, training, etc. Making the Y-PEER network available globally Peer Education Consultation Well� before the end of YouthNet we�ll have the research results, a package of tools, and a global network dedicated to building the capacity of NGOs to implement peer education. How do we ensure that these results, tools and resources make it out to the field � get them put into practice. Well� the research results will be submitted for publication in scientific journals � and the results will also be widely disseminated in the DR and Zambia. The tools will be available electronically � as well as print (we hope). We will use all of our networks, listserves, events, etc. to get these out to the far reaches of the world of youth peer education. Now that we have a person on staff dedicated to dissemination I feel confident that these materials will get put into use. The Y-PEER network will be available globally. If it grows in the rest of the world like it grew in EE we�ll be in good shape. Luckily UNFPA is not going anywhere� so Y-PEER will continue without us � even though it has been enriched by our collaboration. Training via the Y-PEER network will keep the tools in use, and continue to disseminate the research results. Finally, we intend to have a consultative meeting on peer education early next year� after the research results have been collected and the tools are ready for distribution. This will be an opportunity for our US-based partners to expand their knowledge base and toolboxes. We also hope to use several upcoming international events to do similar work in the coming year.Well� before the end of YouthNet we�ll have the research results, a package of tools, and a global network dedicated to building the capacity of NGOs to implement peer education. How do we ensure that these results, tools and resources make it out to the field � get them put into practice. Well� the research results will be submitted for publication in scientific journals � and the results will also be widely disseminated in the DR and Zambia. The tools will be available electronically � as well as print (we hope). We will use all of our networks, listserves, events, etc. to get these out to the far reaches of the world of youth peer education. Now that we have a person on staff dedicated to dissemination I feel confident that these materials will get put into use. The Y-PEER network will be available globally. If it grows in the rest of the world like it grew in EE we�ll be in good shape. Luckily UNFPA is not going anywhere� so Y-PEER will continue without us � even though it has been enriched by our collaboration. Training via the Y-PEER network will keep the tools in use, and continue to disseminate the research results. Finally, we intend to have a consultative meeting on peer education early next year� after the research results have been collected and the tools are ready for distribution. This will be an opportunity for our US-based partners to expand their knowledge base and toolboxes. We also hope to use several upcoming international events to do similar work in the coming year.

13. Discussion Questions What kind of guidance does the field need to improve peer education programs? What are the best, most effective ways to provide such guidance? This leads us directly into our discussion questions.This leads us directly into our discussion questions.