TERA

To Whom It May Concern:

Youth Advocate — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:42:26 +0000

Every February, we encourage at least one of our Peer Educators to write a Letter to the Editor of the Longmont Times Call Newspaper. Our Peer Ed, Tessa, wrote an amazing letter – a call to action to parents.

Here’s just a peak:
“So, what can you do to protect your children? Talk to them. Simply let them know you are there for them with any questions they may have or even just to talk. Show them. Model healthy relationships in your own life and teach them what love is. Even if you are positive your child could never be abused, why not do these things anyway?”

Read her full letter here.

Seventeen Magazine Steps It Up

Peer Ed — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:09:41 +0000

Abusive relationships have been in the news a lot lately. It’s always important to be talking about it. When I read the article about relationship abuse in the newest Seventeen Magazine, I was totally psyched about what they had to say. They gave a lot of great insight on how to help a friend who is experiencing relationship abuse and how to pick up warning signs. I highly suggest reading this article and joining TERA to learn even more about how to help prevent relationship abuse.

by Hannah, Peer Educator

“I Don’t Really Need to Know This”

Youth Advocate — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:00:15 +0000

After every presentation we give at a school, we pass out evaluations. These help us get an idea about how the presenters did, how the information was received, and if students learned something. We ask “What did you like the most/the least about the presentation?” As the Director of the TERA program, I enter these evaluations into an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of how the program is doing for our own benefit, but also to provide our funders with info saying, “Hey, TERA is doing a great job!”

I was sort of shocked when I came across this comment:

“I don’t know anyone who has been abused and the people I’m around don’t abuse others…so I don’t really need to know this…”

Once I got over my initial hurt feelings (Yes, sometimes I take the negative comments about presentations personally. I just am really passionate about this program!), I tried to look at it objectively. This students’ voice is one of many!

Let’s think about it this way:

77% of teens who were in a violent relationship never told anyone about the abuse.
81% percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.

Ok, so not surprising that people don’t think this issue is important. Many victims of dating abuse aren’t talking about it. When parents don’t think something is an issue, they don’t talk about it either and they aren’t responsive when their child is confronted with relationship abuse. There is a totally hushed nature about the subject of dating abuse! We NEED to talk about it.

And here’s why:

About 72% of 8th and 9th graders are “dating.”
1 in 3 teens is a victim of sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
1 in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

That’s not like 1 in a million. That’s your friend, your classmate, your sibling, your neighbor.

And that’s something we really do need to know about.

Stats brought to you by LoveIsRespect.org.

TERA Peer Ed Wins Award

Youth Advocate — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:16:52 +0000

On June 6th, one of TERA’s very own Peer Educators, Chiara, won the Bebe Price Award for outstanding community service through Foothills United Way (FUW). This is a HUGE honor and we are all so grateful to FUW for acknowledging not only the amazing effort that Chiara has put toward TERA, but for recognizing the impact that the program has on teens in our community.

The Nomination:

Chiara, age 17, and a senior in the St. Vrain Valley School District has been a Peer Educator volunteer for the Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley Teens Ending Relationship Abuse (TERA) Program since spring 2007. In fact, Chiara was one of the founding members of TERA when it began in 2007 as a service project through Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) at a local high school.

The TERA Program is an educational prevention program that utilizes high school students as Peer Educators. These volunteers give 45 to 90 minute presentations in middle school and high school classrooms on healthy relationships and the dynamics and prevention of abusive relationships. During the 2010/2011 academic year, the TERA Peer Educators will reach approximately 1600 students in the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Not only has Chiara held a title of “team leader” for the last 2 years, but she fully embodies a leader in every sense of the word. She is the go-to person when the group needs to organize, plan, or execute an idea. Her creativity and passion for the program are endless. She always attends trainings and meetings, supports her fellow Peer Educators, and helps to train and mentor new members. She is always kind and compassionate to students who never cease to confide in her or ask her questions after presentations. Not only is Chiara a standout Peer Educator, she is an amazing advocate for change. When asking other Peer Educators why they joined the TERA Program, it is not uncommon to hear that Chiara’s passion and positive example was a key motivating factor in deciding to join.

This school year alone, in addition to giving TERA presentations, Chiara has: recruited many new Peer Educators, setup booths at her high school to recruit members and spread awareness of teen dating abuse, helped facilitate a multi-day training for new TERA members, organized “Purple Thursdays” for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), facilitated the distribution of TDVAM materials at her high school, and appeared on the “Heart of Longmont” Radio Show to promote the TERA Program.

Chiara is very deserving of Bebe Price Award for Community Service as she has been an outstanding volunteer for the Safe Shelter TERA Program. In the 4 years of the TERA Program’s existence, Chiara has been one of the key reasons that the program has had so much success.