1. LouisiAna Youth for excellence
“Empowering Our Youth To Make Healthier Choices”
Christie Smith, Executive Director
Stephanie Neal, Executive Assistant

2. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Louisiana
United States
9,707 cases of Chlamydia
2,587 cases of Gonorrhea
68 cases of Syphilis
393,123 cases of Chlamydia
70,918 cases of Gonorrhea
1,036 cases of Syphilis

3. Louisiana, Neighboring States, and United States 2014
Teen Pregnancy
Louisiana, Neighboring States, and United States 2014
State
Number
Rankings
United States
29.4
Louisiana
43.1 44
Alabama
39.2 42
Arkansas
45.7 47
Mississippi
46.1 48
Texas
44.4 46
Per 1,000 female population aged 15-19

4. HIV/AIDS Louisiana United States 76 cases of HIV Ages 13-19
In 2013, an estimated 2,704 youth were diagnosed with AIDS, representing 10% of the 26,688 people diagnosed with AIDS that year

5. Who we are:
Louisiana Youth for Excellence (LYFE) is a community outreach program within the Governor’s Executive Branch geared towards supporting healthy development of youth
The LYFE office receives Title V grant funding which supports a holistic, abstinence-based approach to educating children in regards to goal setting, character-development and developing healthy relationships, while providing students age-appropriate facts regarding sexual health and family planning including contraceptives and their effectiveness.
Our goal is to provide our most at risk youth the best possible resources and information to protect themselves against teen pregnancy and STIs and provide them the skill sets to make healthy choices for their future.

6. Who we target:
The LYFE office is committed to providing our most at-risk youth the resources needed to make healthy choices including:
Youth in poverty
Youth in foster care
Youth transitioning out of foster care
Incarcerated youth
Statistics show that these are our most vulnerable populations for teen pregnancy and STIs in addition to other at-risk behaviors
The latest statistics from the Office of Public health reveal that the highest incidences of teen pregnancy and STIs are in EBR, Shreveport, and NOLA.

7. What we Implement:
Making A Difference is the curriculum being implemented in schools and community based organizations throughout Louisiana.
“MAD” is evidence-based, peer-reviewed, Centers of Disease Control (CDC) approved for being medically accurate and age-appropriate, with a focus on abstinence as being the only way to protect yourself 100% from teen-pregnancy and STIs
LYFE delivers on-site training and on-going support to school administrators, teachers, and community based organization personnel

8. “LYFE” Support
LYFE also offers STD/HIV fact cards about symptoms and facts/myths
LYFE staff will host parent nights regarding ways to talk to teens about self- esteem, self-efficacy, setting personal boundaries, and how to deal with peer pressure
LYFE offers positive youth development resources such as “7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” as a framework for goal setting and how to set yourself up for a successful future
LYFE facilitates partnerships to provide our youth the best networks possible such as the 211/text line for teen counseling

9. Examples of CBO partnerships
Governor’s Children’s Cabinet
iCARE
Big Buddy
100 Black Men
Ekayha Project
Dr. Eric Griggs
Metro Health Center
Nurse/Family Partnership
Youth Challenge Program

10. How to contact Christie.Smith@la.gov 225-428-6734