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

• Implementing Fourth R, a comprehensive healthy relationships curriculum that covers partner abuse, drug and alcohol use and sexual decision making, into 4 middle schools, 2 high schools and 4 after-school organizations.
• Mobilizing and coordinating Youth Policy and Education Corps: A group of 15-18 youth who empower their peers to reduce teen dating violence through a curriculum that promotes action through policy change
• Leveraging an extensive network of contacts in government, education, and community groups to collaborate for workshops and education sessions
• Partnering with Young Voices whose mission is to transform urban youth into powerful advocates who have a voice in every aspect of their lives.  Every year, more than 80 youth from across the state of RI participate in their Leadership Transformation Academy, an intense training that prepares them to be influential advocates and effective leaders who make a real difference in issues like education reform.   
• Combining new media and grassroots organizing to help young people learn how to choose and keep healthy relationships. We've partnered with youth and leading software developers to make these products:
  1. Healthy Teens, the world’s first immersive virtual reality game to help teachers teach and students learn about healthy relationships.
  2. hkupwithrespect.com a social networking site and video project that helps teens decide what’s cool and what’s not in relationships.
  3. Passport 2 Social Media, community based workshops where adults learn the tools to help their kids choose healthy relationships in the digital world Online resources including video tips from real parents are at p2sm.org.

BY THE NUMBER

• 14% percent of high school students reported having been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend in 2007, an increase of 55 percent since 2001
• Start Strong Rhode Island targets approximately 2,000 youth age 12-14 in Rhode Island’s core urban areas, where the risk for interpersonal violence and their children's vulnerability to abuse is higher
• Out of 4,327 calls to the Sojourner House helpline in 2008, almost 10% concerned a teen victim

OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)
Young Voices

MEET THE TEAM

Kate Reilly, Program Director, Sojourner House
Christina Garcia, Community Outreach and Prevention Specialist, Sojourner House
Amber Johnson: Start Strong Youth Leader, Age 15
Rick Rodriguez: Start Strong Youth Leader, Age 16

CONNECT

Address: 386 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908
Email: kreilly@sojournerri.org
Website: http://www.hkupwithrespect.com/
P: 401-861-6191

COMMUNITY UPDATES

• Start Strong Rhode Island Welcomed Hundreds of Students for the State’s First Cyber Bullying Youth Forum on Dating and Relating in a Digital Age
• National Summit on Gender-Based Violence among Young People
• Start Strong Representatives Named to OVW National Advisory Committee
• Start Strong Rhode Island Participating in Pepsi’s Refresh Everything Competition

IN THE NEWS

• Bright Idea: Hooking Up With Teens to Promote Healthy Relationships
• Teens Helping Teens to "Hook Up With Respect"
• Staged fight draws attention to teen dating violence
• A newsletter from Sojourner House, Inc.