PPAA - Peers Promoting AIDS Awareness - Nantucket Aids Network

Peers Promoting Aids Awareness (PPAA) is a student group in Nantucket High School dedicated to educating peers and the community about prevention, tolerance, and compassion toward those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. Sponsored by the Nantucket AIDS Network (NAN), PPAA has been active since February 1992. Since their inception, the group has grown from the initial 15 students to over 70 members. For many years it has been considered the largest extracurricular club in NHS. PPAA has become an influential part of the student body and a model that other organizations across the state have looked to for teen education, outreach and future leader development. The group meets on a bi-weekly basis at NHS, as well as holding evening meetings at the NAN to prepare for upcoming events. Students work hard in order to prepare events and keep the group actively educating. Some of the most important aspects of PPAA include:

Community Outreach- Walk and Rock Nantucket, AIDS Walk Boston, World AIDS Day, formal and informal community and school outreach activities; information tables/materials, condom distribution, hats and t-shirts for walk participants, school-wide assembly on World AIDS Day, and much more.

Formal Training- A one-day workshop is offered to the entire student body focusing on peer leadership and the realities of Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This year, the event took place on Sunday, November 16, 2003 from 12pm to 4:30pm. Activities included skits educating peers about STD’s, how alcohol affects decision making, a power point on Hepatitis A, B, and C, and much more.

Outreach Materials- Condoms, training materials, reference materials, brochures, quarterly newspaper ads and articles, etc.

Healthy Alternative Programs- PPAA provides excellent alternatives for the students of NHS. Some of these include the annual Valentine’s Day Dance, a Lock-in, a Coffee House, and an end of the year dinner. PPAA feels that given these healthy alternatives, students will be less prone to drinking and drug use, activities that significantly increase their chance of contracting an STD.

Ryan White Youth Conference- In 2003, PPAA was part of 600 fellow youth and adult HIV/AIDS prevention advocates at the Ryan White Youth Conference. Three student officers spent three days in Dallas, Texas, home of the 2003 conference. The group spent their time at the conference discussing, learning, listening and working towards a similar goal by attending many of the workshops offered. Three student officers, as well as PPAA advisor Gordon McGregor are expected to travel to Portland, Oregon to take part in the 2004 conference. This year, students from the group will make a presentation of their own at the event.

	Nantucket AIDS Network 35 Old South Road Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554
	Phone: 508-228-3955 TTY/FAX: 508-325-7178 e-mail: Office@NantucketAids.org
e-mail addresses for specific staff members can be found on our directory page.