TORCH
Teen Outreach Reproductive CHallenge (TORCH)
TORCH is a nationally recognized program that combines peer health education and leadership training of New York City youth, placing a strong emphasis on empowerment and team building.
Through peer outreach, community organizing, public speaking, and addressing the critical issues of reproductive health care, young people build their self esteem, learn leadership skills, and make responsible choices in their lives. TORCH provides young people, of both sexes, with a safe setting in which to discuss reproductive health issues and educate themselves and others to make sound and intelligent decisions. In 1996, the TORCH program began training high school students from the five boroughs of New York City as peer educators. Today, they have become a pioneer in adolescent health care and their programs have been expanded nationwide. Read more about the evolution of TORCH. Peer educators participate in a 36-hour leadership training program on a wide range of topics, including: human sexuality, body image/self esteem, reproductive health, abortion, healthy adolescent relationships, and building communication between adolescents and health care providers.
Armed with this training, TORCH brings reproductive health education to New York City’s youth population, in particular to low-income young women. For over six years, TORCH has trained a diverse group of more than 175 young people as peer educators, who have conducted presentations to thousands of young people at more than 70 youth organizations and schools.
Peer educators also distribute education materials in English and Spanish via presentations, at health care facilities that serve adolescents, health fairs, after-school programs, youth centers, community youth-related programs, public and independent high schools and middle schools, and school based health clinics. Are you a youth coordinator and interested in signing up for a workshop? Click here. For more information, contact pdemairo@prochoiceny.org |
