Partners in Prevention (PiP) Evaluation Report
We are delighted to share the impact, lessons learned, and sustainability of Partners in Prevention. Programs delivered by grantees have proven to be effective in preventing substance use and building critical skills that have been shown to prevent substance use. All grantees are continuing to advance these learned skills by embedding the program language and learnings into the school day. Integrating the teaching and reinforcement of these skills into the schools’ missions and daily interactions with students may sound like a tall order given the many responsibilities and accountability pressures facing educators and schools today. But little things can make a big difference, from how adults talk to students to school staff using consistent routines learned in the programs for situations like transitions and social problem solving. In classrooms and other school settings, children and adolescents need to have skills such as managing negative emotions, being calm and focused, following directions, and navigating relationships with peers and adults.
Below you can reference final evaluation reports, infographics, and supplemental information about PiP.
YES! Summit: Advancing Evidence-Based Prevention and Mental Health Systems in Indiana School
In 2023, Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) joined the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, and North Central Health Services, Inc., to bring together 300+ Indiana school leaders, education stakeholders, healthcare providers, funders, and state and community partners for the first Youth Emerging Stronger (YES!) Summit. The YES! Summit, held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Conference Center, provided a framework for expanding evidence-based prevention and mental health support within K-12 schools.
The YES! Summit was made possible by a group of committed funders who know the power evidence-based prevention programming and mental health supports hold for students. Maria Fruth, HFL President and CEO, and Mary Wellnitz, HFL Special Projects Manager, joined colleagues from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, along with others from the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, and North Central Health Services, Inc., to hold the inaugural YES! Summit.
Dr. Katie Jenner, Secretary of Education for the State of Indiana, kicked off the summit with opening remarks. During the summit, Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, superintendent of Michigan City Area Schools (MCAS), spoke as part of the Strengthening Student Wellness Initiatives: Maintaining Stakeholder Engagement and Continuous Program Improvement panel. Dr. Eason-Watkins discussed how MCAS is collecting and using data for continuous improvement of their school-based prevention and mental health initiatives and programs, as well as demonstrating student impact to maintain stakeholder buy-in.