Reproductive health classes: 450 urban poor teens

Youth Empowerment: More Than Just Imparting Knowledge

In the first quarter of 2026 at each of our partner schools, YB3 along with the Grade 5 teachers delivered the last session of the educational series. Looking back over the 2025-2026 school year, 317 students, ages 10 to 13 years old, participated in the "Remaja 101" (Adolescence 101) Program.  Among them:

• More than 50% of students fully completed their workbook assignments that helped reinforce what they learned in class.
• 71% of students shared with their parents what they learned from the lessons.

The use of these contextual materials, closely aligned with the lived experiences of adolescents, proved effective in stimulating critical dialogue and fostering shifts in attitude among both the students and their parents.  The "Remaja 101" program demonstrated that, through this participatory approach, adolescents:

• began to exhibit changes in their attitudes toward risky behaviors,
• better understood personal boundaries,
• and are more confident in discussing issues that were previously considered taboo. 

Although these changes remain in their nascent stages, the program underscores that youth empowerment within underprivileged urban communities is not merely about imparting knowledge; rather, it is about cultivating courage, critical consciousness, and social support.

What some of our partner teachers have said about the program:

"The educational content provided is highly relevant to the lives of today's teenagers—particularly the material regarding personal boundaries—enabling students to understand how to conduct themselves in order to prevent sexual harassment."

"The educational program was directed not only at the children but also at their parents. This approach has fostered a greater sense of engagement among parents regarding their children's development."

"Assigning group tasks to the children made them more enthusiastic, creative, and confident when presenting the results of their discussions"

Teacher Training and Program Sustainability

Post-test assessments conducted on 34 teachers who participated in a "Training for Trainers" workshop revealed that more than half of the teacher participants felt enthusiastic and challenged to drive change. While an increase in knowledge was evident, continued mentorship—along with the reinforcement of roles and a sense of program ownership—remains essential to ensure that teachers and schools truly transform from being mere deliverers of content and supporters of activities into the actual organizers and planners of the program.

Moving forward, this program will continue with a primary focus on transitioning program ownership to the teachers and schools themselves. Empowering teachers to independently mentor their students will be the central focus of the next cycle of teacher training, supported by consistent guidance and mentorship from the YB3 team.

Thank you, friends and donors, for helping to make this program possible.  We would love your continued support for the next step towards sustainability.  Stay tuned!