General Departmental Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (GDSRAE)
This grant funds programs that teach youth in high-risk areas to avoid non-marital sexual activity and other risky behaviors using medically accurate, evidence-based education.
Funder: Administration for Children & Families - ACYF/FYSB
Due Dates: August 17, 2026: Full application deadline (electronic, 11:59 p.m. ET) | August 17, 2026: Paper submission deadline (for approved exemptions, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: $300,000–$450,000 per award per year; up to 3 years; ~$19.2M total program funding; ~43 awards expected
Summary: Funds projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education for youth ages 10–19, emphasizing abstinence from non-marital sexual activity and healthy decision-making.
Description
This opportunity supports projects that develop and deliver sexual risk avoidance education (SRAE) to empower youth ages 10–19 to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The program emphasizes medically accurate, evidence-based, and age-appropriate curricula that foster healthy decision-making, self-regulation, and goal setting. Projects must serve youth in areas with high rates of teen births and/or those at greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Funded activities must align with the Administration for Children & Families' (ACF) vision, mission, and priorities, promoting personal responsibility, healthy relationships, and positive youth development. Curricula must not normalize sexual activity outside of marriage and must address topics such as resisting coercion, avoiding risky behaviors (e.g., substance use), and understanding the benefits of healthy relationships and future planning. Projects are encouraged to include trauma-informed and culturally appropriate approaches and may include optional local evaluations.
