A two-phased augmentation/intervention extension of Claremont’s media-based prevention education model

This presentation details a two-phase training series for prevention professionals to optimize prevention infrastructures across the globe. This project, funded by INL through the Colombo Plan, is an extension of Claremont Graduate University & Advanced Certificate Program in Media-Based Prevention, which was developed to assist international prevention professionals design evidence-based media prevention campaigns specific to issues encountered in their countries.
A survey of program alumni in 2022 revealed strong enthusiasm for additional advanced training in message development, campaign design, and evaluation. In Phase 1, developers presented six three-hour webinars covering those issues. They were open to all program alumni. In all six sessions, evaluation was taught as integral to message and campaign development. The goal was to provide trainees with the knowledge set needed to develop and evaluate an evidence-based media campaign, culminating with a thorough evaluation and dissemination of results. They were encouraged to diffuse the procedural knowledge and skills gained in their individualized programs to colleagues, communities, and workplaces. The program sparked strong dedication to continued learning. Each webinar was attended by 14-23 of 37 alumni over the course of three months. Webinars were accessed online by others who could not meet at the given time.
The second phase of the program involved a year-long mentorship process for 4 alumni teams deemed most promising to produce immediate persuasive prevention interventions in their home communities. Intense mentorship was designed to encourage and guide campaign development, execution, and evaluation of media-based prevention campaigns. Teams from Botswana, Tunisia, Colombia, and Brazil were selected and I will present where we are to date in these interventions, which involve a range of psychoactive substances, populations ranging from less than 200 to more than 2,000,000, and across a wide age range, and detail how each program is being evaluated