ShoutOut - California, USA

ShoutOut is created by youth, for youth, to promote better communication about sexuality, drug and alcohol abuse, nutrition, physical fitness, and other issues of interest to young people. Approximately 20 local teen journalists meet for 2 hours each week to develop the publication; community members are invited to attend. The group seeks submission - stories or artwork - from local youth. The journalists use printed matter to communicate "the pulse" of what is going on in the schools, on the streets, and after hours in their community. The free newspaper, which has articles in English, Spanish, and Spanglish, comes out every 3 months and has a distribution of 10,000. In every edition, reporters address issues such as the effects on teens of the USA's fast-food culture, what it’s like to live in a foster home, and all about tattoo art. . ShoutOut also includes images and information about the local scene, from interviews and photo journals of local musicians to the growing influence of hip hop art. "We print reality," says Cristal Juarez, a ShoutOut journalist. "We write about what's really going on in young peoples' lives."

The ShoutOut website is an additional means of disseminating stories from the printed editions. The Home Page features a few current stories - sample titles include “Cutting for Control: The Trend of Self-Mutiliation” by Christina Bustamente, “The Invisible Rapist: Date Rape Dugs and How to Avoid Them” by Mayra Cervantes, and “Gang Life: A Personal Odyssey” an anonymous article. In addition to archived articles divided into various categories, the site features a section called "Know Your Rights", which includes information on alcohol laws, drug laws, getting protection, parents and teens, free speech in schools, and statutory rape. Another section describes correct condom use and provides details about the locations of PSIs "Safer Sex Machines", condom vending machines sporting graffiti art logos placed in youth-friendly businesses and hangouts. Information about emergency contraception is also offered.

ShoutOut also has an associated group of peer educators - Teen Advocates - who deliver interactive workshops on issues raised in the newsletter, such as teen sexuality, at schools, after-school programmes, or youth group meetings. In 2005, ShoutOut will also team up with the Youthtopia Radio Program on KUSP community radio, to create a youth-produced talk show highlighting key topics from their paper.

ShoutOut seeks to reach adults, as well, to the end of enhancing their ability and willingness to communicate with young people about issues such as safe sex. "Habla Conmingo/Talk with Me" is a series of free comprehensive workshops for local parent groups. The workshops are designed to help parents raise and respond to their children's questions concerning values, protection, and risk reduction. The workshops are offered in Spanish or English by trained facilitators. In addition, PSI provides a free Facilitator's Guide with each edition of ShoutOut. The guides, which are also downloadable in PDF format (click here for more details) feature activities that correspond with ShoutOut articles. The activities are intended to be simple to coordinate, while providing an opportunity to stimulate group discussion about the topics raised in the newspaper.

Youth, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Nutrition, and Health.

In December 2002, ShoutOut was honored by the Watsonville City Council for breaking new barriers in student journalism.

PSI launched its Central Coast Adolescent Sexual Risk Reduction Project in 2000 in California (USA)'s agricultural Central Coast region, with a special focus on Latino youth. Watsonville, a city of 48,000, has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the USA. Using a youth development model, the programme seeks to help teens develop career and life skills while producing hip, trendy teen pregnancy prevention and other risk reduction messages. In addition to the ShoutOut newspaper and website, the group produced "Amor y Deseo at Heartville High," a 12-part radio novela.