The “Make a Noise! Make a Difference! Prevent Infant Mortality.” prevention curriculum was created to develop individual and community empowerment by increasing community awareness, delivering preconception and interconceptional information, promoting healthy behaviors and encouraging lifestyle changes for fathers, mothers, mothers-to-be and community residents.

The curriculum is for community residents (lay health advocates) who want to know the facts about infant mortality and want to share the information with family, friends, co-workers and other community residents. The infant mortality lay health advocates are volunteers who are trained on infant mortality and want to help spread the word…our black babies are dying!

The health advocate curriculum guide, developed by The Magnolia Project and modeled after the successful Community Voice program, is divided into four sessions: healthy before pregnancy, healthy during pregnancy, healthy two and healthy baby.  Subjects include not only healthy habits, but also topics like the effects of stress, the role of fathers, the importance of vaccines and the threat of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  After completing the four sessions with staff, the new “Lay Health Advocates” receive incentives and are provided materials to attract and educate people about black infant mortality. Each month, advocates report the number of people they have spoken to about the issue to staff.