PROJECT IMPACT - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Project IMPACT (Infant Mortality Public Awareness Campaign for Tennessee) is a youth messaging initiative supported by the Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination (GOCCC) and includes over fifty middle and high schools students from Davidson, Hamilton and Shelby Counties.  The initiative is a partnership between GOCCC, the Oasis Center, Inc. (Nashville), Girls Incorporated of Chattanooga, and Bridges USA (Memphis).  The overarching goals of Project IMPACT are to (1) increase awareness about infant mortality and related risk factors and (2) reduce behavioral risk factors associated with poor birth outcomes in underserved communities. 

Project IMPACT includes three main components: 

YOUTH EDUCATION

Project IMPACT participants engage in a variety of educational activities to broaden their knowledge of the prevalence of infant mortality and morbidity and related medical and social risk factors.  Activities include classroom lectures, group discussions, tours, service learning experiences and Q&A sessions with maternal and child health service providers.

YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Participants engage in organized youth development activities focuses on team building, action, research and service learning.  Participating youth are trained by professional staff to develop public health messages and learn how to convey those messages through various forms of media.  During the program, youth will develop 10-15 unique media products (video and radio public service announcements and billboards).

MESSAGE DISSEMINATION

Project IMPACT participants, with guidance from program staff, will develop plans for the dissemination of their public service announcements in their communities.  In addition, the public service announcements will be unveiled at the Project IMPACT Premier, which is scheduled for July 25th in Nashville, Tennessee at the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower Building. 

This initiative empowered a cadre of young people with the information and skills to spread the word -- creatively and meaningfully -- about better birth outcomes to their peers and to others in their communities.  In addition, the youth created relevant public health messages that can provide communities in Tennessee with vital information about improving health and birth outcomes.  Finally, local film makers created a documentary which followed the youth through the Project IMPACT program.  This documentary is an opportunity to highlight the role youth can play in improving the health of our youngest Tennesseans.