Movimiento Ascendencia (OJJDP Model Program Guide)

Office of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships – Safer Neighborhoods

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Serving Children, Families and Communities

PREVENTION

IMMEDIATE SANCTIONS

INTERMEDIATE SANCTIONS

RESIDENTIAL

REENTRY

MPG HOME SEARCH HOME SEARCH ENTIRE PROGRAM DATABASE SEARCH USING RISK & PROTECTIVE FACTORS PROGRAM TYPES RATING SYSTEM REFERENCES NOMINATE PROGRAMS RELATED LINKS RESOURCES DMC-REDUCTION BEST PRACTICES DATABASE DSO BEST PRACTICES DATABASE

Movimiento Ascendencia

Intervention:

Movimiento Ascendencia (Upward Movement) was established in Pueblo, Colorado, to provide girls with positive alternatives to substance use and gang involvement. Outreach workers recruited 8- to 19-year-old females to the program, though some girls were instead referred to it. The program, which serves both at-risk and gang-involved youth, is headed by the Pueblo Youth Services Bureau and consists of a project director, a coordinator, and three outreach workers who are trained in conflict mediation and resolution skills, signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse, and providing information on sexuality, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. The five professionals work closely together.

Activities are designed around three main components: cultural awareness, mediation or conflict resolution, and self-esteem or social support. Participation in any of the Movimiento Ascendencia activities is voluntary. The program includes

Mentoring. Girls are matched with a female mentor with whom they spend at least 2 hours a week for 9 months.
Organized sports and recreational activities, such as movies, pizza parties, and talent and fashion shows.
U*R*IT—tutoring and homework support given by staff twice a week after school within the school. This component also includes gender-specific life skills training on topics such as self-esteem, pregnancy prevention, personal grooming, personal safety and self-defense, loss and grief, relationships and emotions, and career goals.
Cultural enhancement—attending cultural fairs, listening to speakers talk about different cultures, day trips into Denver or Colorado Springs.
Case management. An initial home visit and needs assessment is conducted when a girl first joins the program. She is referred to services in the community.
Parental involvement. Parents transport children to activities and scheduling activities that include the family, such as an annual awards banquet.
Safe Haven provides a safe place where girls can go within their communities.

Evaluation Methodology:

Study 1
The program was evaluated by Williams, Curry, and Cohen (1999) as part of a study looking at adolescent female gang intervention/prevention programs. A nonequivalent-group, quasi-experimental design was used to study gang members, former gang members, and non–gang members. The treatment group consisted of a random sample of program participants, while the control group consisted of a “snowball” sample gathered through school and juvenile justice contacts. Interview-based surveys were conducted during the final 12 months of the program. Level of delinquency was measured by incidents such as throwing objects at people or cars, purposely damaging or destroying someone else’s property, running away from home, stealing or trying to steal something worth less than $50, stealing or trying to steal something worth more than $50, carrying a concealed weapon other than a pocket knife, and knowingly buying, selling, or holding stolen goods. Academic performance and self-esteem were also measured. The treatment group consisted of 61 girls, 32 non–gang members, 20 gang members, and 9 former gang members. The control group also consisted of 61 girls, 32 non–gang members, 13 gang members, and 16 former gang members. The girls in the treatment group averaged 14.8 years of age; the control group’s average age was 15.4. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at baseline.

Evaluation Outcome:

Study 1
Girls in the treatment group showed a greater reduction in delinquency than girls in the control group during the preprogram and postprogram periods. This difference was statistically significant, at the .01 level. Preprogram reports showed that the control group had significantly higher grades than the treatment group. Postprogram reports showed that both groups had statistically significant increases in reported average grades, resulting in a nonsignificant difference between the two groups after the program. There were no differences found in the Hare self-esteem scale measures between the two groups.

Other Information:

References:

Williams, Katherine, G. David Curry, and Marcia I. Cohen. 1999. Evaluation of Youth Gang Drug Intervention/Prevention Programs for Female Adolescents Volume 1: Final Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

———. 2002. Gang Prevention Programs for Female Adolescents: An Evaluation. In Winifred L. Reed and Scott H. Decker (eds.). Responding to Gangs: Evaluation and Research. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 225–63.

Program Specification:

Current Rating:

Promising

Expected Date of Re-Review:

Spring 2013

Program Type:

Academic Skills Enhancement

Afterschool/Recreation

Conflict Resolution / Interpersonal Skills

Gang Prevention

Gender-Specific Programming

Mentoring

Ethnicity:

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Gender:

Female

Age:

8 - 19

Special Populations:

Females

Problem Behaviors:

Delinquency

Gang Activity

Risk & Protective Factors:

Risk

Community

Neighborhood youth in trouble

Individual

Cognitive and neurological deficits/Low intelligence quotient/Hyperactivity

Favorable attitudes toward drug use/Early onset of AOD use/Alcohol and/or drug use

Mental disorder / Mental health problem / Conduct disorder

Poor refusal skills

Peer

Gang involvement / Gang membership

School

Low academic achievement

Negative attitude toward school / Low bonding / Low school attachment / Commitment to school

Protective

Family

Opportunities for prosocial family involvement

Individual

Healthy / Conventional beliefs and clear standards

Social competencies and problem solving skills

Peer

Involvement with positive peer group activities

School

Strong school motivation / Positive attitude toward school

Additional Information:

Status:

Program is in operation at this time.

Performance Measures:

Suggested OJJDP Performance Measures for the Program Types(s):

Delinquency Prevention
Academic Skills Enhancement
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
School Programs
Academic Skills Enhancement
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Delinquency Prevention
Afterschool/Recreation
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Gangs
Gang Prevention
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF
Mentoring
Mentoring
Logic Model: PDF
Performance Matrix:PDF

Contact Information:

Program Developer:
Molly Melendez
Pueblo Youth Services Bureau
1920 Valley Drive
Pueblo, CO 81008
Phone: 7195425161
Fax: 7195421335
Email: Click Here

Program Locations:
Staff
Youth and Family Academy Charter School
215 East Orman Avenue
Pueblo, CO 81004