Ripple Effects gives them permission to talk about things they might not have brought up otherwise - topics like family violence, pressure to make out, problems with friends at school."
Jessica Ball (Unit Supervisor)

The Club provides a violence prevention curriculum, and the computer lab houses one of their most popular programs. It is here that they use Ripple Effects' Ripple Effects for Teens, a behavior training application that helps kids solve problems and learn important social skills.

Kim is proud of the Club and its programs and activities. "Kids need to belong somewhere. Around here, the gangs recruit year round. That's why the Club has membership cards, T-shirts, and a ‘members-only' approach, though anyone can join. We want them to belong here, not to a gang."

Ripple Effects for Teens is a multimedia behavior training software application that brings best practices from education, psychology and prevention to the desktop. It includes more than 650 problem-related topics, including criminal behavior like stealing, assault and rape, as well as issues around child abuse, substance abuse, social background, depression, self concept and learning issues. Students can learn in whatever mode they find most appealing, from traditional objective presentations, to true stories, to interactive games.

Jessica Ball, one of the Club's Unit Supervisors, really likes Ripple Effects for Teens because "it addresses teen issues - the things that are really on their minds."

The program is used for 45 minutes a week with two groups of kids - one boys, the other girls. They do at least one topic as a group, so they can share feelings and beliefs. "Relate gives them permission to talk about things they might not have brought up otherwise - topics like family violence, pressure to make out, problems with friends at school." On their own, they can pick their own topics to explore. "It's kids talking to kids. That's why the kids like it."


According to Jessica, "They'll leave the room if it feels like school. We have to provide snacks to get them to do some of the other programs. But not with Relate." They also like how it's packaged: the style, clothing, people of color, the fact that they can pick out a male or female teen Guide - the overall visual quality. "It's more visually sophisticated than any other program we've looked at," Jessica adds.

For the Staff, Kim is relieved to have Relate as a resource. With over 650 topics, there's a skillfully presented learning experience for just about every teen issue. "There's so much information here, and it's all current stuff. I can't expect my staff to know all this." Although Relate is flexible and can be modified to filter out sensitive topics, the Club has left all the topics in, and they have had no negative responses. "We need to be responsible," Jessica notes, "but no school board tells us what to do. I'm a very conservative person but I've never been concerned for the kids with Relate."

Ripple Effects for Teens is the only effective behavior training software application shown to work on the market. Investigators from Columbia and New York Universities have demonstrated that the software changes teens' behavior in positive ways (reduces aggressive acts and increases pro-social acts) and that those changes are correlated with improved academic performance.

In the time since its publication, Ripple Effects for Teens has received 10 national awards and has been chosen for use in 100+ educational sites in twenty states. About 2/3 of those sites are schools or school districts; about 1/3 are community based programs, including crime prevention programs. It is also being used in health clinics, and juvenile justice settings.

Kim and Jessica wish every Boys and Girls Club could have Ripple Effects for Teens.