The PATCH End of the Year Celebration is a day set aside for the Teen Educators to reflect on the amazing impact they have made to the healthcare community; to celebrate their personal growth and the impressions and impact they have made on each building long lasting relationships. This wonderful journey began on October 9th, 2024, Hope Buffalo and Erie Niagara AHEC (Area Heath Education Center) embarked on another year of the PATCH program training eight new Teen Educators and returning four experienced teens from the 2023 program. Teen Educators completed five days of extensive training that prepared them to lead conversations with healthcare providers about the wants and needs of teen patients.
Twelve Teen Educators from various Buffalo Publics School took part in 15 Enrichment Meetings throughout the program year designed to provide Teen Educators with ongoing learning experiences discussing topics like: Pregnancy Prevention, It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health, (Y.O.U.) Your Own Understanding of You, Healthy Relationships, and CPR/Narcan Training. Thank you to all our wonderful guest speakers: Anna Martyn, Planned Parenthood; Celia Spacone, Crisis Services; Fantah Whitt, Whitt care; Brooke Goergen, Teen Reality Theatre; Medicine for Tomorrow; and MATTERS.
One of the roles of a PATCH Teen Educator is to deliver PATCH workshops to healthcare providers and their peers. Teen Educators delivered six PATCH for Provider Workshops to 78 future Healthcare Providers to include students at: Jacobs School of Medicine, Canisius College, D’Youville University, and University of Buffalo. Along with the Provider workshops Teen Educators facilitated five Peer-to-Peer Workshops with 97 teens at: Leonard Di Vinci High School, D’Youville University, and a collaboration with Teen Reality Theatre.
The PATCH End of the Year celebration was held on June 11th, 2024, Teen Educators were presented with their Certificates of Completion and special awards were given to each teen acknowledging their individuality and special gifts. Food, fun and games were the highlight of the celebration!
Eight of the Teen Educators will be returning to the PATCH program for the 2024-2025 program year as High School Juniors and Seniors for their third and second year as Teen Educators. Thank you to HOPE Buffalo for their continuous support of the PATCH program.
Click through the slideshow below to see some highlights from PATCH with our Teen Educators!
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