Better Existence with HIV announced Oct. 25 that it is the recipient of a $70,000 Illinois Department of Public Health grant to fund HIV Prevention presentations in local schools.

BEHIV’s Education Outreach program conducts comprehensive, age-appropriate presentations for students and young people, providing information on keeping protected from HIV, the need to make wise choices regarding drugs, alcohol and peer pressure and the difficulties faced by people living with HIV/AIDS.  

In fiscal year 2007, BEHIV reached over 12,000 students at dozens of schools throughout Chicago and the surrounding communities.

“Our Education Outreach program is growing each year as more people hear about the outstanding job we do educating our community’s young people,” said BEHIV Executive Director Eric Nelson.  “We are presenting in more schools and social service agencies, throughout the entire Chicago area, as more administrators and teachers understand that their students need to hear this very important message of survival.”