Bronx
Mission
The mission of the Connect to Protect® (C2P) Bronx coalition is to reduce HIV/AIDS rates among young women of color through collaborative efforts to impact community programs, policies and social practices.
As part of the Adolescent AIDS Program at Montefiore Medical Center, the C2P Bronx coalition works to design and engage in structural intervention activities to transform the Bronx’s physical and social environment in ways that can, for the long term, curb the spread of HIV among young people.
General coalition structure
The coalition meets every other month and has regular subcommittee meetings. The coalition has about 28 partner organizations.
The current subcommittees are as follows:
- Sexuality Education subcommittee
- Youth Development subcommittee
- Healthy Relationships subcommittee
The coalition’s primary areas of focus are
- Promoting age-appropriate comprehensive education on HIV/STI’s and sexuality, primarily in schools
- Encouraging healthy relationships to reduce teen dating violence among youth in the Bronx
- Developing new programs to increase the cultural competence of youth medical providers and service providers
- Addressing homophobia in the Bronx community through education
- Supporting the creation of youth development programs in the Bronx
A few of the coalition’s accomplishments include
- Working with the Montefiore School Health Program to prompt six high schools in the Bronx to change health education to be taught in the 9th grade and utilize the NYC Department of Education approved comprehensive sex education curriculum.
- Collaborating with the Bronx Borough President's Office and the Bronx Community Pride Center to create the first ever Rainbow Ribbon Award. The recipients of this award have a history of providing culturally sensitive support and medical services to youth who are members of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Queer/Questioning community in the Bronx.
- Working in partnership with the Bronx Borough President’s Office and the Bronx Community Pride Center to develop an annual training on LGBTQ Youth Issues, which is held every August. Topics discussed include: Human Sexuality 101; Real Life Role Plays-LGBTQ Youth; Trans 101; Ballroom 101; LGBTQ Rights; Domestic Violence in the LGBTQ community.
To help achieve its goals, the coalition has worked with the Bronx Borough President’s Office, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene-Bronx District Public Health Office, the Montefiore School Health Program, Start Strong Bronx Coalition at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, and organizations such as Planned Parenthood of New York City, New Settlement Apartments, Bronx AIDS Services, and The Bronx Community Pride Center.
Coalition Contact Information
Primary contact:
Bianca Lopez, MPH
C2P Community Coordinator
blopez@adolescentaids.org
Donna Futterman, MD
C2P Principal Investigator and Director
dfutterman@adolescentaids.org
Adolescent AIDS Program
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
111 East 210th Street
Bronx, NY 10467
Phone: (718) 882-0232