Cooperative Extension Program

HIV is the acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). The HIV/AIDS Awareness and Risk Reduction Project is a culturally sensitive designed to educate college students of the dangers associated with risky behaviors. Funded through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Region IV, Dallas, Texas, the project uses innovative ways to reach the targeted population.

Twenty-five peer educators have been trained and certified by the American Red Cross in using the HIV/AIDS Facts curriculum. They formed their own HIV/AIDS Organization of Peer Educators (HOPE) and are now one of the many recognized student organizations on the Prairie View A&m University campus.

One of the innovative ways students are disseminating information about HIV/AIDS is through dramatization. Many students enrolled in drama have become certified peer educators and have developed scenarios depicting how the virus is transmitted.

The project is in its second year and has reached over 3,000 persons with information. Other departments on campus that collaborated on this project included the library, biology, student health center, and family and consumer sciences.