Thrive’s mission is to build a movement to improve sexual health outcomes for youth with the vision to create a culture in which opportunities for youth to pursue education, careers and well-being are not limited by teen pregnancy. Oklahoma’s teen birth rate is among the top five highest in the nation, which means that it has one of the highest teen birth rates in the developed world. Oklahoma County consistently has the highest number of teen births in the state. Data shows significant disparities in local teen birth rates by geography and other demographic factors – the issue disproportionately impacts already vulnerable populations, including youth involved in the child welfare system.

Thrive will conduct a one-year pilot training and capacity building program, Project Equip, to provide training, education, and resources to youth-serving professionals, parents, and other caregivers within the child welfare system. This program will build their capacity to have medically accurate and supportive conversations with youth about sexual health, including how to access sexual health care services, especially birth control (including LARC). Offerings will also support best practice engagement like trauma-responsive care, adolescent brain development, equity, 2SLGBTQ+ inclusivity, and other needs identified as the program develops. At the end of the pilot, Thrive will have a set of trainings that it will continue to sustain, as long as there is a need or demand, for caregivers in the child welfare system.

The Arnall Community Funds are administered through Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) and provide grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Oklahoma that are working to improve outcomes for individuals, children and families involved with animal welfare and in the child welfare and criminal justice systems. The OCCF staff will manage the grant administration process and all grantmaking decisions will be made by OCCF Trustees. Learn more about the process.