Movimiento Ascendencia (Upward Movement) was established in Pueblo, Colo., to provide girls with positive alternatives to substance use and gang involvement. Outreach workers recruited 8- to 19-year-old females to the program, though some girls were instead referred to it. The program, which serves both at-risk and gang-involved youth, is staffed by workers who are trained in conflict mediation and resolution skills, signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse, and providing information on sexuality, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Activities are designed around three main components: cultural awareness, mediation or conflict resolution, and self-esteem or social support. Program components include mentoring; sports and recreational activities; tutoring and homework support; gender-specific life skills training on topics such as self-esteem, pregnancy prevention, self-defense, and career goals; cultural enhancement; case management, parental involvement; and a Safe Haven.

The goal of this program is to provide girls with positive alternatives to substance use and gang involvement.

The program was evaluated as part of a study looking at adolescent female gang intervention/prevention programs. Girls in the treatment group showed a greater reduction in delinquency than girls in the control group during the preprogram and postprogram periods. This difference was statistically significant, at the .01 level. Preprogram reports showed that the control group had significantly higher grades than the treatment group. Postprogram reports showed that both groups had statistically significant increases in reported average grades, resulting in a nonsignificant difference between the two groups after the program. There were no differences found in the Hare self-esteem scale measures between the two groups.