TCTC will seek input from member boards on sexual health program

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — The Tri-County Technical Center Regional Council expressed support for a proposed in-house sexual health program during its Dec. 18 meeting, but decided to postpone any action until early next year.
    On the recommendation of AOS 94 Superintendent Kevin Jordan, the council agreed to seek input from their local school boards before the program is implemented.

    Last month, the council heard a presentation from Gemma Douglas, a human development graduate student from UMaine, who said that the need for such a program is apparent.
    Douglas restated her support at last week’s meeting. “We want to provide information in a non-intrusive way through display boards and posters,” she said. “Eventually, we want to expand the program to include relationship health for adolescents.”
    Brian Welsh, the TCTC student services coordinator, explained that domestic violence “is a huge issue for our area and reproductive health is a concern for all of us. Her (Douglas’) research paper links the problems in a very clear way and shows the interrelationship.”
    Part of Douglas’ study showed that more than 50 percent of Maine high school students are sexually active and a great percentage of those will wind up with a sexually-transmitted infection (STI).
    Welsh also revealed that there are two pregnant students at TCTC and possibly up to six “fathers-to-be.”
    Welsh suggested that the first step would be to work with the counselors at TCTC’s member school units: SAD 46/AOS 94 (Dexter-Harmony), SAD 41 (Milo-Brownville), SAD 4 (Guilford), RSU 19 (Newport) and Greenville Consolidated School.
    Once the program is implemented, it will be evaluated and possibly expanded, Welsh said. “The key to success is student involvement which includes recruiting and training peer educators,” Welsh explained. “Another key to success is making sure that materials are fresh. We all see bulletin boards every day. We walk into a grocery store and I don’t even notice the bulletin board. It’s the same as it was in September. So we need to make sure we rotate our material.”
    TCTC, like all other educational institutions, is “data-driven,” Welsh continued. “So we need to develop an instrument to track the issues we’re facing — both short-term and long-term.”
Jordan said that while the TCTC Regional Council has the ultimate authority to put the program in place, “This is one of those issues we should run by our boards and get some guidance first,” Jordan said. “As a former health teacher, this is a no-brainer for me.”
    SAD 4 Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick agreed. “I’ve heard these conversations over time and these kids need someone to talk to,” she said.
    TCTC Director Patrick O’Neill concurred, noting the strong support of TCTC by its member school boards. “They don’t want to be blindsided by something like this,” he said.
    The next meeting is scheduled for  Jan. 22 at 6 p.m.