Featured Grant OpportunitySchool Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Funding Opportunity) 

Featured Grant OpportunityShare with Youth: NOAA Student Opportunities Database

Featured Grant OpportunityComprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) Program (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityLongitudinal Research on Delinquency and Crime (Funding Opportunity)

Teen Outreach Program (TOP)

Developers

Original Developer: Brenda Hostetler

Model Developer and Purveyor: Wyman

Program Summary

The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) promotes the positive development of adolescents through curriculum-guided, interactive group discussions; positive adult guidance and support; and community service learning. TOP is focused on key topics related to adolescent health and development, including building social, emotional, and life skills; developing a positive sense of self; and connecting with others. Specific curriculum lesson topics include health and wellness (including sexuality), emotion management, and self-understanding among many others. The development of supportive relationships with adult facilitators is a crucial part of the model, as are relationships with other peers in the program.

Intended Population

The program is designed to meet the developmental needs of middle (6th-8th grades) and high school teens (9th-12th grades). The program has been evaluated with African American, Latino, and White middle and high school youth.

Program Setting

TOP is implemented in a variety of settings, including rural, urban, in school, after-school, through community organizations or in systems and institutional settings. The program has been evaluated in middle and high school settings, and in after-school and community-based settings.

Contact and Availability Information

Tori Gale
Wyman Center
600 Kiwanis Drive
St. Louis, MO 63025
Ph: 314-712-2368
Website: www.wymancenter.org

Sample of Curriculum Available for Review Prior to Purchase

Yes

Languages Available

English

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)

Wyman has developed TOP implementation fidelity criteria and provides access to Wyman Connect, Wyman’s proprietary online data management system for program implementers. Implementing sites enter their program data into Wyman Connect and gain access to fidelity reports for tracking progress against TOP fidelity criteria. Wyman also provides sites with pre- and post-intervention teen surveys to collect data about program satisfaction and outcomes. Programs enter the data from these surveys into Wyman Connect, and reports are available for monitoring satisfaction and outcomes.

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 only possible response option was “Yes”, and the dosage is described in the Notes when available. For more details, refer to the FAQ. Some of the components identified are noted as core components of the evidence-based program, but this does not necessarily mean that these components have been rigorously tested and show evidence of effectiveness. Most often developers denoted components as core based on theory or experience in the field. Click here for the list of evidence-based components.

Category	Component	Core Component	Component present	Notes	Lesson number(s) / activities where present
Delivery mechanism	Other
Dosage	Frequency	Yes	Yes	Weekly sessions for a total of at least 25 (implementers encouraged to exceed minimum)
Dosage	Intensity	Yes	Yes	Sessions are 45-60 minutes each
Dosage	Duration	Yes	Yes	32-36 week program cycle
Dosage	Other	Yes	Yes	At least 12 TOP Curriculum lessons and at least 20 hours of Community Service Learning (CSL) (implementers are encouraged to exceed the minimums)
Staffing	Deliverer: Community health worker	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Faith-based individual	No	Optional		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Health educator	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Mental health provider	No	Optional		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Mentors	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Parents/family		No		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Peers		No		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Primary care provider		No		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Social worker and/or counselor	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Teachers	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Staffing	Deliverer: Other	No	Yes (evaluated version)	Youth workers/individuals with experience delivering youth development programs	N/A
Staffing	Experience: Credentials	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Completion of a 2.5 day Training of Facilitators facilitated by a certified trainer is required	N/A
Staffing	Experience: Education	No	Yes (evaluated version)	Bachelor's degree in youth development, social work, psychology, education or related field, or equivalent work experience, preferred.	N/A
Staffing	Experience: Other	No	Optional	Minimum of 1 year experience in teen program delivery preferred.	N/A
Staffing	Number of staff providing services	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Ratio not to exceed 1 facilitator to 25 teens	N/A
Staffing	Training: Additional training required		No		N/A
Staffing	Training: Developer-led training required	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Completion of 5-day Training of Trainers for program coordinators/supervisors is required	N/A
Staffing	Training: Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)	Wyman's National Network offers ongoing guidance and TA on implementation as well as webinars, an annual conference, and other PD opportunities	N/A
Staffing	Other	Yes	Yes (both versions)	A Program Coordinator is required to oversee all aspects of implementation	N/A
Format	Mode: In-person	Yes	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Format	Group size: Other		No		N/A
Format	Group size: Full-group activity	Yes	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Format	Group size: Independent/individual activity		No		N/A
Format	Group size: Small-group activity	No	Optional		N/A
Format	Mode: Phone (audio)		No		N/A
Format	Mode: Phone (text)		No		N/A
Format	Mode: Phone (app)		No		N/A
Format	Mode: Online/computer (asynchronous)		No		N/A
Format	Mode: Online/computer (synchronous)		No		N/A
Format	Mode: Other		No		N/A
Format	Other		No		N/A
Context	Context: Environmental supports	Yes	Yes (evaluated version)	Obtain necessary supplies as listed for each curriculum lesson; program training encourages facilitators to create physically safe and supportive space which may include modifying the room from classroom style to chairs in a circle.	N/A
Context	Context: Environmental constraints	Yes	Yes (evaluated version)	The curriculum advises facilitators to know the policies of the school district and community agencies regarding discussing sexuality and getting parental permission when appropriate/necessary.	N/A
Context	Context: Other				N/A
Context	Setting: After school	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Context	Setting: Community based	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Context	Setting: Correctional facility	No	Optional		N/A
Context	Setting: Faith based	No	Optional		N/A
Context	Setting: Health care clinic	No	Optional		N/A
Context	Setting: Home-based case management	No	No		N/A
Context	Setting: Home/housing	No	No		N/A
Context	Setting: In school (during the school day)	No	Yes (both versions)		N/A
Context	Setting: Mental health clinic	No	No		N/A
Context	Setting: Residential facility	No	Optional		N/A
Context	Setting: School-based health clinic	No	Optional		N/A

Program Objectives

The goals of Wyman's TOP are:

Improve social, emotional, and life skills.
Support development of a positive sense of self.
Strengthen connections to others.
Improve academic outcomes and decrease risky behavior.

Program Content

TOP’s goals are accomplished through implementation of TOP Curriculum lessons and meaningful Community Service Learning experiences. Facilitators provide at least 12 lessons from the TOP Curriculum and at least 20 hours of Community Service Learning, including preparation, action, and reflection on the service, throughout the course of the program cycle. The TOP curriculum includes 140 lessons on the following topics:

Emotion management
Problem-solving
Decision-making
Goal-setting
Health and wellness (including sexuality)
Self-understanding
Social identity
Empathy
Communication
Relationships
Community

The TOP Curriculum uses a holistic, positive youth development approach to sexual health education, including comprehensive, up-to-date and medically accurate sexual health information. TOP facilitators have the flexibility to select lessons that meet the needs and interests of the teens they serve.

TOP provides high quality facilitation by caring, responsive and knowledgeable staff who build strong, supportive relationships with teens, and create engaging and empowering “TOP Club” experiences.

Program Methods

TOP is grounded in a Positive Youth Development theoretical framework, which focuses on enhancement and promotion of adolescent well-being. A program logic model is available on Wyman’s TOP website: http://teenoutreachprogram.com/resources/.

Program Structure and Timeline

The program is structured as weekly, 60-minute peer group meetings (minimum of 45 minutes) across a total program duration of at least 32 weeks. Youth may participate in multiple years of the program.

The essential elements of Wyman's Teen Outreach Program (TOP) include:

TOP Trained Adults: TOP is delivered by a trained adult facilitator to a group of teens referred to as a “TOP Club.”
Weekly Peer Group Meetings: TOP Clubs hold at least 25 weekly meetings across a program cycle, with a teen to facilitator ratio no greater than 25:1.
TOP Curriculum: Facilitators provide at least 12 lessons from the TOP curriculum with content tailored to teens’ needs and interests.
Community Service Learning: TOP teens complete at least 20 hours of meaningful community service learning, which includes planning, action, and reflection.
Quality Assurance Plan: A guide to the monitoring of fidelity and quality.

Staffing

Each TOP club is led by trained facilitators, at a ratio of at least one facilitator for every 25 teens in the club. Facilitators should remain consistent for the duration of the program. Facilitators may be social workers, teachers, school guidance personnel, or youth workers who have been trained to facilitate the program.

There is no minimum educational level required before attending TOP facilitator training. Adults who facilitate TOP must be trained through completion of the 2.5-day TOP Training of Facilitators. The TOP Coordinator (person assuming responsibility for overall TOP implementation) completes a 5-day TOP Training of Trainers.

Staff Training

TOP is replicated through a Certified Replication Partner process, which is designed to help partners provide TOP within their communities. Through this process, Wyman maintains an on-going training, technical assistance, and network support relationship with partners.

Once an organization applies to become a Certified Replication Partner, the organization identifies its coordinator (the person assuming responsibility for overall implementation of TOP), who completes a 5-day TOP Training of Trainers module. This equips the coordinator to train others in their organization or network to implement TOP, and ensures their full understanding of the fidelity standards and process. The coordinator then trains TOP facilitators (those who will directly implement the program with teens) through a 2.5-day TOP Training of Facilitators. Trainings of Trainers are held at Wyman headquarters on a quarterly basis. A Training of Trainers may also be conducted at a partner site with sufficient enrollment.

Program Materials and Resources

Wyman is committed to supporting all organizations implementing TOP to ensure they receive required training as well as ongoing technical assistance and support to implement TOP with fidelity and quality. Specifically, Wyman provides the following tools and resources:

Up to 10 TOP Curriculum sets, which include three books of lessons (Building My Skills; Learning About Myself; Connecting With Others) and the TOP Facilitation Guide.
Access to Wyman Connect, a comprehensive online data system that facilitates collection, management and use of pre and post survey data and teen participation data, including access to reports and a dashboard. Additional program resources are also available on Wyman Connect, such as training content and updates.
Access to Wyman’s National Network training offerings and associated materials, including Training of Trainers (TOT) and Training of Facilitators (TOF) .
Special populations guide.
Capacity analysis and planning tool.
Webinars designed to extend learnings and program impact.
An e-newsletter with latest trends and best practices.
Facilitator Institutes and Coordinator Learning Exchanges as additional training opportunities that extend TOP implementation expertise.

Additional Needs for Implementation

Program materials including the Coordinator Work Plan, Sample TOP Calendar for Coordinators, and the Life Cycle of TOP for Coordinators.
A meeting room for holding Club Meetings.
Internet access for use of online resources including Wyman Connect (online data management system), and to enhance student exploration of community service learning options, etc.
Access to transportation for facilitators to aid in completion of community service learning opportunities.

Fidelity

Wyman provides detailed information about fidelity requirements and engages partners in an annual certification process that includes a review partners’ implementation of TOP.

Technical Assistance and Ongoing Support

TOP Partners have real-time access to the National Network team in order to discuss and identify technical assistance, supplemental trainings, and additional resources that are needed to help support the partner in their replication of the Teen Outreach Program.

Allowable Adaptations

Wyman actively works with partners on adaptations of the program. They are particularly interested in supporting adaptations that support the needs of youth at highest risk, and for populations not previously served by TOP. Wyman considers implementations shorter than 32 weeks in duration to be a minor adaptation as long as youth are provided with at least 25 weekly meetings, at least 12 TOP Curriculum lessons, and at least 20 hours of Community Service Learning. All adaptations must receive prior approval; contact Wyman for details on the adaptation request and guidelines process.

Adaptation Guidelines or Kit

Yes

Reviewed Studies

Citation	High-Quality Randomized Trial	Moderate-Quality Randomized Trial	Low Study Rating	Did Not Meet Eligibility Criteria
Allen et al. 1997	✓
Allen and Philliber 2001			✓
Francis et al. 2015 Francis et al. 2016	✓
Seshadri et al. 2015		✓
Crean et al. 2015 Robinson et al. 2016b		✓
Daley et al. 2015 Walsh-Buhi et al. 2016	✓
Francis et al. 2016				✓
Philliber and Philliber 2016		✓
Philliber et al. 2016	✓
Robinson et al. 2016a Robinson et al. 2016b		✓

Study Characteristics

Citation	Setting	Majority Age Group	Majority Racial/Ethnic Group	Gender	Sample Size
Allen et al. 1997	In school: High school	14 to 17	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	695
Allen and Philliber 2001	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Francis et al. 2015 Francis et al. 2016	In school: Middle school	13 or younger	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	1196
Seshadri et al. 2015	In school: High school	14 to 17	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	5633
Crean et al. 2015 Robinson et al. 2016b	After school	13 or younger	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	1188
Daley et al. 2015 Walsh-Buhi et al. 2016	In school: High school	14 to 17	White	Youth of any gender	2058
Francis et al. 2016	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Philliber and Philliber 2016	In school: High school	14 to 17	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	934
Philliber et al. 2016	Multiple settings	14 to 17	White	Youth of any gender	8662
Robinson et al. 2016a Robinson et al. 2016b	After school	13 or younger	African American or Black	Youth of any gender	4769

Study Findings

Evidence by Outcome Domain and Study

Citation	Sexual Activity	Number of Sexual Partners	Contraceptive Use	STIs or HIV	Pregnancy
Allen et al. 1997	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Allen and Philliber 2001	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Francis et al. 2015 Francis et al. 2016		n.a.		n.a.	n.a.
Seshadri et al. 2015		n.a.		n.a.	n.a.
Crean et al. 2015 Robinson et al. 2016b		n.a.		n.a.	n.a.
Daley et al. 2015 Walsh-Buhi et al. 2016		n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Francis et al. 2016	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Philliber and Philliber 2016		n.a.		n.a.	n.a.
Philliber et al. 2016		n.a.		n.a.
Robinson et al. 2016a Robinson et al. 2016b		n.a.		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
Allen et al. 1997	The program's evidence of effectiveness was first established in a randomized controlled trial involving high school students in 25 school- and community-based sites across the United States. Within each study site, participants were randomly assigned, either individually or by classroom, to either a treatment group that received the program or a control group that received whatever regular curricula and programs each site provided. Surveys were administered immediately before the program started (baseline) and nine months later at the end of the program.The study found that at the time of the 9-month follow-up survey, female adolescents participating in the program were significantly less likely to report they had become pregnant during the academic year of the program (odds ratio = 0.41, confidence interval = 0.26 to 0.64). The study did not estimate program impacts on male adolescents' reports of having caused a pregnancy.The study also examined program impacts on rates of school suspension and course failure. Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review.
Allen and Philliber 2001	This quasi-experimental study received a low rating because it did not establish baseline equivalence for the final analysis sample.
Francis et al. 2015 Francis et al. 2016	A separate recent study evaluated the program among a younger sample of middle- and high-school students in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The study used a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 61 middle and high schools. In each participating school, students were randomly assigned by teacher to either a treatment group that received the program or a control group that provided the regular school instruction. Surveys were administered before the program started (baseline), and again three and 15 months after the program ended. The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impact on sexual activity rates found in the separate study by Daley et al. (2015). In particular, the study found that students in the treatment group were no less likely than students in the control group to report ever having had sex (odds ratio = 1.33 for the 3-month follow-up survey, odds ratio = 3.14 for the 15-month follow-up survey). The study also examined program impacts on measures of recent sexual activity and recent unprotected sexual activity. The study found no statistically significant impacts on these outcomes for either follow-up survey. The study did not measure program impacts on pregnancy.
Seshadri et al. 2015	This study evaluated the program using a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved 5,633 students in 9th grade in 44 Chicago Public Schools. Schools were randomly assigned either to a group that implemented TOP or to a control group that did not implemented TOP but implemented their standard teen pregnancy and/or STI prevention curricula. The study collected outcome data immediately after the end of the program (about 10 months after the baseline). The study examined program effects on having sex and having sex without using a condom in the last three months. Immediately after the end of the program, the study found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on those outcomes.
Crean et al. 2015 Robinson et al. 2016b	A separate recent study evaluated the program using a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved 1,188 adolescents recruited from recreation centers in Rochester, NY. In each of three years, the study randomly assigned 11 recreation centers to either a treatment group implementing TOP or a control group implementing a workplace competencies program, creating a total of 33 analytic clusters. Surveys were administered before the program started (baseline), and again immediately after the program ended (about nine months after the baseline). The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impact on sexual activity rates found in the earlier study by Daley et al. (2015). In particular, immediately after the program ended, the study found that adolescents in the group receiving TOP were no less likely than adolescents in the control group to report ever having sex (odds ratio = 0.68). The study also examined program impacts on sexual activity without using an effective method of birth control in the last three months. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on that outcome. The study did not measure program impacts on pregnancy.
Daley et al. 2015 Walsh-Buhi et al. 2016	A more recent study conducted by a separate group of researchers evaluated the program among a sample of 26 Florida high schools. The study randomly assigned schools in matched pairs to either a treatment group that offered the program during the regular school day or a control group that provided the regular school instruction. Surveys were administered before the program started (baseline), immediately after the program ended, and 10 months after the program ended. Using data for the full sample of male and female adolescents, the study successfully replicated the favorable program impact on pregnancy reported in the earlier study by Allen et al. (1997). In particular, for the follow-up conducted at the end of the program, the study found that students in the treatment group were less likely to report ever having been pregnant (females) or gotten someone pregnant (males)(odds ratio = 0.58). The study found a similar pattern of results for the longer-term follow-up survey conducted 10 months after the program ended (odds ratio = 0.51). The study also found a statistically significant program impact on sexual activity rates. In particular, for the follow-up conducted at the end of the program, the study found that students in the treatment group were statistically significantly less likely to report ever having had sex (odds ratio = 0.84, confidence internal = 0.78 to 0.90). The study found no statistically significant program impact on this outcome for the longer-term follow-up survey conducted 10 months after the program ended.
Francis et al. 2016	This study did not meet the review's eligibility criteria.
Philliber and Philliber 2016	Another recent study evaluated the program among a sample of 934 middle and high school students in Kansas City, Missouri. The study used a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved the 98 classrooms of 17 teachers from 12 middle and high schools. Classrooms were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received TOP or a control group that received the regular classroom curriculum from their existing core content class teachers. Surveys were administered before the program started (baseline), and again 12 months after the program ended. The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impact on sexual activity rates found in the earlier study by Daley et al. (2015). In particular, 12 months after the end of the program the study found that adolescents in the group receiving TOP were no less likely than adolescents in the control group to report ever having sex (odds ratio = 0.96). The study also found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on having sexual intercourse without using any method of birth control in the last three months. The study did not measure program impacts on pregnancy.
Philliber et al. 2016	This study evaluated the program using a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved 8,662 adolescents attending schools in five northwestern states (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington). Students were clustered into groups, and the types of groups included school classes, in-school clubs, pull-out, and after-school clubs. Randomization into treatment (receiving TOP) and control (not receiving TOP) conditions was done at the level of those groups of students. The study administered surveys before conducting random assignment (baseline), and again immediately and 12 months after the end of the program. The study found evidence of mixed program effects. Immediately after the program ended, the study found a positive program impact: the subgroup of male adolescents in the schools that implemented TOP were less likely to report ever causing a pregnancy than their counterparts in schools that did not implement the program (odds ratio = 0.71). For the same time period, the study found evidence of an adverse effect: the subgroup of female adolescents in the treatment schools were more likely than those in the control schools to report having ever been pregnant (odds ratio = 1.27). The study found no significant impacts on pregnancy for the full sample immediately and 12 months after the program ended (odds ratio = 1.13 immediately after the program, odds ratio = 1.15 12 months after the program). Immediately after the program ended, the study also examined program impacts on recent sexual activity and on having sexual intercourse without using an effective method of birth control in the last three months. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on those outcomes.
Robinson et al. 2016a Robinson et al. 2016b	A separate recent study evaluated the program using a randomized controlled trial that involved 4,769 adolescents recruited from Community Based Organizations in Louisiana. Adolescents were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received TOP or a control group that did not receive TOP or any other teen pregnancy prevention program. The study administered surveys before conducting random assignment (baseline), and again immediately and 12 months after the end of the program. The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impacts on sexual activity rates and pregnancy found in the earlier studies by Daley et al. (2015) and Allen et al. (1997), respectively. In particular, the study found that immediately after the end of the program, the subgroup of adolescents in the group receiving TOP who were sexually inexperienced at baseline were no less likely than their counterparts in the control group to report they have had become sexually active (odds ratio = 1.25). Twelve months after the end of the program, the study found that adolescents in the group receiving TOP were no less likely than adolescents in the control group to report ever being pregnant (odds ratio = 0.96). Immediately and 12 months after the end of the program, the study also found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on having sex without using an effective method of birth control in the last three months.

Breadcrumb

Teen Outreach Program (TOP)

Lists*