Love Notes (for ages 14-24)

Developers

Marline Pearson, MA

Published by The Dibble Institute

Program Summary

Love Notes is a comprehensive healthy relationship education curriculum that teaches adolescents and young adults (14–24) how to build healthy romantic relationships, prevent dating violence, and improve impulse control. The program is designed to build young people's skills for cultivating healthy relationships, selves, and sexual behaviors: planning and pacing relationships and sex, self-efficacy and resilience around relationships, proven communication skills, and understanding how family formation impacts children. Love Notes consists of 13 one-hour lessons on decision making, communication, and sexual and overall safety. The program can be delivered in multiple settings, such as schools, community-based organizations, faith-based agencies, community centers, and social service agencies.

Intended Population

Love Notes was designed for older youth and young adults (14-24) who are at-risk of an unplanned pregnancy or already pregnant or parenting. It was evaluated with youth between the ages of 14 and 19 years who had never been pregnant or caused a pregnancy.

Program Setting

Love Notes was designed to be delivered in a variety of settings including schools, community-based organizations, faith-based agencies, community centers, social service agencies, and workforce development programs. Love Notes was evaluated in community-based organizations.

Contact and Availability Information

For curriculum, materials, and pricing information, please contact:
The Dibble Institute at https://www.dibbleinstitute.org/lovenotes

Additional contact information:
The Dibble Institute
P. O. Box 7881
Berkeley, CA 94707-0881 www.DibbleInstitute.org
RelationshipSkills@DibbleInstitute.org
Phone: 1-800-695-7975
Fax: 1-800-695-7975

Sample of Curriculum Available for Review Prior to Purchase

Yes

Languages Available

English, Spanish

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

Monitoring and evaluation tools available

Yes

Monitoring and evaluation tool usage required

Information about available monitoring and evaluation tools (if applicable)

Love Notes includes fidelity aids and checklists with the Evidence-Based Program (EBP) Model Manual for Love Notes. These include an annotated slide deck for the instructor, observational fidelity tools for coaches and evaluators, facilitator quality measures, a participant reaction questionnaire, questionnaires on participants’ perceptions of the facilitator and group cohesion, and a Love Notes knowledge test. Furthermore, upon request, The Dibble Institute can offer suggested related scales that could be used as part of a survey (such as measures to assess attitudinal and behavioral outcomes regarding sex, pregnancy, relationship quality, communication, conflict, control, violence, and intentions, etc.).

Program Components and Core Components

Last updated in 2024

The data presented on this page reflect responses from the program’s developer or distributor to a program component checklist that asked them to report on the individual components within their TPP program. The same program component checklist was sent to the developer or distributor of every active TPP program with evidence of effectiveness. The program component table provides information on seven types of program components including content, delivery mechanism, dosage, staffing, format, context, and intended population characteristics; whether the component was present or optional in the program; whether the component is considered to be core to the program; and the lesson number or activity where the component can be found in the program.

In the drop-down menu below, under “Has component,” there are four options that indicate a component as present in the program: (1) “Yes” indicates that the component is present in at least one version of the program (whether that be the program version that was evaluated, the current version, or both versions); (2) “Yes (both versions)” indicates that the component is present in both the evaluated version of the program and the current version of the program; (3) “Yes (current version)” indicates that the component is present in the current, but not the evaluated, version of the program; and (4) “Yes (evaluated version)” indicates that the component is present in the evaluated version of the program, only. Note that for dosage components, the dosage itself is described in the Notes when available.

Category	Component	Core Component	Component present	Lesson number(s) / activities where present
Delivery mechanism	Other
Dosage	Frequency	No	Yes
Dosage	Intensity	No	Yes
Dosage	Duration	Yes	Yes
Dosage	Other
Staffing	Deliverer: Community health worker	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Faith-based individual	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Health educator	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Mental health provider	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Mentors	No	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Parents/family	No	No
Staffing	Deliverer: Peers	No	Optional
Staffing	Deliverer: Primary care provider	No	No
Staffing	Deliverer: Social worker and/or counselor	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Teachers	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Deliverer: Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Experience: Credentials	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Experience: Education	No	Optional
Staffing	Experience: Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Number of staff providing services	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Training: Additional training required	No	No
Staffing	Training: Developer-led training required	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Training: Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Staffing	Other
Format	Group size: Full-group activity	Yes	Yes (both versions)	There are scores and scores of small, large and individual activities throughout--in each lesson
Format	Group size: Independent/individual activity	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Ditto from above
Format	Group size: Small-group activity	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Ditto from above
Format	Group size: Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Format	Mode: In-person	Yes	Yes (both versions)
Format	Mode: Phone (audio)	No	No
Format	Mode: Phone (text)	No	No
Format	Mode: Phone (app)	No	No
Format	Mode: Online/computer (asynchronous)	No	No
Format	Mode: Online/computer (synchronous)	No	Optional
Format	Mode: Other	No
Format	Other
Context	Setting: Home/housing	No	Optional
Context	Context: Environmental supports	No	Optional
Context	Context: Environmental constraints	No	Optional
Context	Context: Other	No
Context	Setting: After school	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: Community based	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: Correctional facility	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: Faith based	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: Health care clinic	No	Optional
Context	Setting: Home-based case management	No	No
Context	Setting: In school (during the school day)	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: Mental health clinic	No	Optional
Context	Setting: Residential facility	No	Yes (both versions)
Context	Setting: School-based health clinic	No	Optional

Program Objectives

The main goal of Love Notes is to prevent unplanned pregnancy by providing teens with information to make wise relationship choices. The program also provides information on preventing relationship violence, and helps teens create a clear plan to avoid pregnancy and STDs.

Love Notes aims to achieve these goals by integrating relationship skills with pregnancy prevention and workforce readiness, with practical strategies for motivating change. The model relies on:

A realistic context for learning that incorporates language, values and scenarios that is relevant to this audience.
An appeal to aspirations that helps youth to cultivate a personal vision for love, intimacy, and success.
New motivations for behavioral change, such as exploring, from a child’s perspective, the impact of unplanned pregnancy and unstable relationships.
Empowerment to achieve healthy relationships at home and at work through both knowledge and practical skills.

Program Content

Love Notes is a 13-session program consisting of the following modules:

Relationships Today
Knowing Yourself
My Expectations–My Future
Attractions and Starting Relationships
Principles of Smart Relationships
Is It a Healthy Relationship?
Dangerous Love
Decide, Don't Slide! Pathways & Sequences Toward Success
Communication and Healthy Relationships
Communication Challenges and More Skills
Let's Talk About Sex
Let's Plan for Choices
Through the Eyes of a Child

Program Methods

Love Notes is delivered through facilitation, PowerPoint slides, varied activities and exercises, large- and small-group discussions, individual journal applications, video clips, music videos, peer teaching, skill practice, role-play activities, drawing, and sculpting.

Program Structure and Timeline

Love Notes consists of 13 lessons, which can be implemented according to the needs of participants and the organization delivering the program. Lessons are approximately an hour long, more or less, depending on time constraints and use of supplemental content. The lessons may be taught individually or in groups of lessons. The intensity and frequency are left to the discretion of the organization implementing the program. When the program was evaluated, program delivery took place over two consecutive Saturdays, which comprised 11.5 hours of instructional time.

Staffing

Instructors must be familiar, comfortable, and successful in reaching their targeted youth population. Instructors must be trained by a Dibble certified trainer in the Love Notes Evidence Based Program Model (LN-EBP), which includes facilitation techniques and fidelity guidelines.

Staff Training

To maintain fidelity, training of all Love Notes instructors by a Dibble Master Trainer or a Certified Dibble-trained trainer is required. Love Notes EBP training is delivered over three days. It may be scheduled in a central location with multiple agencies attending or hosted by an agency with its staff. Virtual trainings are also available, which consist of five half-days with prework before the training. Training of trainers is also available. Please contact RelationshipSkills@DibbleInstitute.org or 800-695-7975 for more information.

Program Materials and Resources

Intervention materials include:

Love Notes Instructor’s Manual
Love Notes Participant Journals (in hard copy or digital format)
Primary Colors Personality Tool
PowerPoint slideshow for each lesson—downloaded directly from website with purchase of the manual

Additional Needs for Implementation

A computer and projector are needed for each lesson’s PowerPoint slides. Other materials include art supplies, candies, and other readily available teaching materials.

Love Notes Participant Journals (available in hard copy of electronic form) can be purchased in bulk along with the Primary Colors Personality Tool from the Dibble website: www.dibbleinstitute.org, or call 800-695-7975.

Fidelity

The following fidelity aids and checklists are included with the EBP Model Manual:

Annotated slide deck to focus the instructor on key content.
Observational fidelity tools for coaches and evaluators
Facilitator quality measures
Participant reaction questionnaire
Participant perceptions of facilitator engagement and group cohesion questionnaires
Love Notes knowledge test
Inventory of related scales that can assess attitudinal and behavioral outcomes regarding sex, relationship quality, communication, conflict, control, violence as well as mediators.

Technical Assistance and Ongoing Support

Training clients receive technical assistance as part of their training package. Love Notes offers 2 hours of complimentary consultation per organization that have attended a Dibble training. In addition, further TA and evaluation is available.

Allowable Adaptations

Love Notes adaptations are permitted by the program’s developer in order to be more suitable for a particular population (i.e. visual learners or a particular racial/ethnic group) or an organization’s setting or program structure without compromising or deleting its core components.

For federal grantees, potential adaptations of Love Notes may need federal approval. Adaptations to the medical information provided in Love Notes may require a medical accuracy review and also approval by the funder.

For activities that directly relate to Love Note’s content, organizations may:

Add additional content from the Love Notes Complete Instructor’s Manual based on participant need and available time.
Include Love Notes activities for expecting and parenting teens.
Exchange “All Falls Down” for “Toothpaste” DVDs based on participant need.

For activities that do not directly relate to Love Note’s content, organizations may:

Change the first names in the scenarios to reflect the participants’ culture and sex.
Add icebreakers or energizers at the start of each session or between modules if delivering during an extended period of time.

Program Delivery:

Deliver lengthened sessions.
Increase the number and frequency of Love Notes sessions.
Use exercises, share facts, or make reminders about key concepts as part of booster text or sessions.
Provide make-up sessions.
Use modules with young adults up to age 24.

Unallowable Adaptations

Delivery without using the Love Notes PowerPoints and Participant Journal.
Delivery by a facilitator who has not attended a LN-EBP Dibble Certified Training.
Skipping content or activities from the Evidence Based Model.

Adaptations are not encouraged when the purpose is to make it easier or more convenient to implement the program; to stick to what is familiar; to drop controversial topics; or because educators lack appropriate training or preparation.

All adaptation changes must be reviewed and approved in the context of maintaining fidelity to the core components.

Adaptation Guidelines or Kit

Yes

Reviewed Studies

Citation	High-Quality Randomized Trial	Moderate-Quality Randomized Trial	Moderate-Quality Quasi-Experiment	Low Study Rating	Did Not Meet Eligibility Criteria
Cunningham et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2022

Study Characteristics

Citation	Setting	Majority Age Group	Majority Racial/Ethnic Group	Gender	Sample Size
Cunningham et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2022	After school	14 to 17	African American or Black	Male and female youth	933

Study Findings

Evidence by Outcome Domain and Study

Citation	Sexual Activity	Number of Sexual Partners	Contraceptive Use	STIs or HIV	Pregnancy
Cunningham et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2022				n.a.

KEY

Evidence Indication

Favorable findings

Potentially favorable findings

Indeterminate findings

Conflicting findings

Potentially unfavorable findings

Unfavorable findings

Note: n.a. indicates the study did not examine any outcome measures within that particular outcome domain, or the study examined outcome measures within that domain but the findings did not meet the review evidence standards.

Detailed Findings

Citation Details

Citation	Details
Cunningham et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2016 Barbee et al. 2022	"The program was evaluated with a cluster randomized control trial involving 23 community-based organizations in Louisville, Kentucky. Youth were recruited into the study on a rolling basis in small groups. Each group was randomly assigned to one of three research conditions: (1) a treatment group receiving the Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) intervention; (2) a treatment group receiving the Reducing the Risk intervention; or (3) a control group receiving a program on neighborhood assets and community change. Data for the study were collected before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at three, six, 12, and 24 months after the end of the intervention. The manuscripts included in this review focused on data collected at the three-, six-, and 12-month follow-ups. Six months after the end of the intervention, the study found that adolescents in the Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) group were less likely than those in the control group to report ever having sex (effect size = -0.19), having any sexual activity in the past three months (effect size = -0.18), having sex without a condom in the past three months (effect size = -0.22), having sex without using birth control in the past three months (effect size = -0.28), and ever being pregnant (effect size = -0.17). The study found no statistically significant program impacts on measures of number of sexual partners or pregnancy in the last three months. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on any of these outcomes for the three- or 12-month follow-up surveys. The study also examined impacts of Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) on negative attitudes about teen pregnancy and the success sequence (the likelihood that youth thought they would order their lives in a conventional way). Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review. Finally, the study examined impacts of Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) on a measure of pregnancy (or causing a pregnancy) within the first year after the end of the intervention. Findings for that outcome measure were not considered for the review because they did not meet the review evidence standards. Specifically, the review had concerns about sample composition change, and the analyses of that outcome did not meet the TPPER baseline equivalence requirement."

Cunningham et al. 2016

Barbee et al. 2016

Barbee et al. 2022

"The program was evaluated with a cluster randomized control trial involving 23 community-based organizations in Louisville, Kentucky. Youth were recruited into the study on a rolling basis in small groups. Each group was randomly assigned to one of three research conditions: (1) a treatment group receiving the Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) intervention; (2) a treatment group receiving the Reducing the Risk intervention; or (3) a control group receiving a program on neighborhood assets and community change. Data for the study were collected before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at three, six, 12, and 24 months after the end of the intervention. The manuscripts included in this review focused on data collected at the three-, six-, and 12-month follow-ups.

Six months after the end of the intervention, the study found that adolescents in the Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) group were less likely than those in the control group to report ever having sex (effect size = -0.19), having any sexual activity in the past three months (effect size = -0.18), having sex without a condom in the past three months (effect size = -0.22), having sex without using birth control in the past three months (effect size = -0.28), and ever being pregnant (effect size = -0.17). The study found no statistically significant program impacts on measures of number of sexual partners or pregnancy in the last three months. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on any of these outcomes for the three- or 12-month follow-up surveys.

The study also examined impacts of Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) on negative attitudes about teen pregnancy and the success sequence (the likelihood that youth thought they would order their lives in a conventional way). Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review. Finally, the study examined impacts of Loves Notes (for ages 14-24) on a measure of pregnancy (or causing a pregnancy) within the first year after the end of the intervention. Findings for that outcome measure were not considered for the review because they did not meet the review evidence standards. Specifically, the review had concerns about sample composition change, and the analyses of that outcome did not meet the TPPER baseline equivalence requirement."

Language directly from the program model developer or authors.

Breadcrumb

Love Notes (for ages 14-24)