RYASAP, a member of the Start Strong Learning Community, is the lead organization for Start Strong Bridgeport. As part of this four-year initiative, Start Strong Bridgeport will be implementing the Start Strong model by:

• Introducing Safe Dates, a healthy relationships curriculum into middle and junior high school health classes which will be co-taught by older teen mentors
• Engaging parents and community members through the BLOCK by BLOCK Neighborhood program, Safe Nights, and intensive community organizing and outreach education to promote healthy teen relationships through early conversations
• Empowering youth to create new spaces to meet and perform in through “Meter Theatre” program, which enables teens to transform empty parking spaces into stages for slam poetry, break dancing and other art and performance projects
• Creating an online Start Strong Bridgeport web community, run by teen advisory YouthSPEAK members, to spark dialogue, spread information, and build leadership in a mode familiar to them

BY THE NUMBER

• Survey results reveal that 75% of Bridgeport teens are affected by dating violence
• $4,000 will be given away each spring semester in the form of “mini grants” to classrooms in Bridgeport who excel in healthy relationship projects
• 3:00PM – 6:00 PM is the time period most teens are most susceptible to engaging in risky behavior and is also the title of our program to encourage youth after school

OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Greater Bridgeport Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
Playhouse on the Green

MEET THE TEAM

Paige Nelson: Project Director, Start Strong Bridgeport. Connect on Twitter
Alisson Wood: YouthSPEAK Coordinator Connect on Twitter
Kathryn O’Neill: Start Strong Youth Leader, Age 16
Quentin Pugh: Start Strong Youth Leader, Age 17

CONNECT

Address: 2470 Fairfield Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06605
Email: ryasap@ryasap.org
Website: http://www.ryasap.org/
P: 203- 579-2727

COMMUNITY UPDATES

• Start Strong Bridgeport Hosts MYOscars Event
• Start Strong Bridgeport creates Teen Dating Abuse PSA.
• Start Strong Bridgeport Launches MYO Campaign

IN THE NEWS

• Movies to be rated by RYASAP based on how relationships depicted
• I Didn't Call It Abuse
• Program seeks to curb teen dating violence
• Teen Dating Abuse

PHOTOS:

Start Strong Bridgeport	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens
Start Strong Bridgeport Teens	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens	Start Strong Bridgeport Teens
Start Strong Bridgeport Teen - Quentin Pugh	Start Strong Bridgetport Teen - Katie O'Neill