During the first program year, also known as the planning year, the collaborating organizations work closely with new program schools to help them build the necessary infrastructure to support and sustain program implementation for years to come. In each school, a stakeholder team coordinator is designated to work with the team of stakeholders and to oversee planning and preparation tasks. The primary tasks addressed during the planning year include: developing stakeholder teams, selecting faculty advisors to coordinate the program and team-teach the Teen PEP course, training faculty advisor teams, gaining support from school administration and the surrounding community, obtaining course curriculum approval, scheduling the Teen PEP course, and selecting peer educators.
After completion of the planning year and before the beginning of the following school year, advisor teams take selected peer educators on a three-day overnight retreat that focuses on team building. During the second program year, the implementation year, peer educators are enrolled in the Teen PEP course that meets daily throughout the school year (or the equivalent). The course is team taught by the faculty advisors who work with peer educators to conduct at least five outreach workshops to a group of approximately 25 students and host a Family Night event.
