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Thursday, 08 September 2022

Supporting Teens with Appropriate, Accurate Sexual Education

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A misconception exists that girls benefit more from sexual education because there’s more at stake for them. However, North Star Youth Partnership understands that both girls and boys play an equal role when it comes to making choices and participating in risky behaviors that lead to teen pregnancy.

North Star Empowers Youth

A program of Catholic Charities, North Star Youth Partnership exists to guide young people in making healthy choices and bringing positive change to their communities. North Star also works to improve communication between youth and their parents and create awareness of risky behaviors and healthy alternatives.

Through Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE), North Star provides free, age-appropriate, accurate sexual education to students. Parent permission is required, and parents are welcome to view the curricula before classes begin.

Using engaging material, North Star educators teach the facts about teen pregnancy, STDs, healthy relationships and boundaries. The goal is to help students envision what their lives could look like when they make healthy choices and avoid risk-taking.

Keeping Parents Involved

North Star’s educators realize that a bright future starts at home. They know that a teen’s achievement and success increase when parents are engaged in what their teen is being taught at school.

In the classroom, students are encouraged to go home and ask their parents questions related to that day’s lesson. For example, students may start a conversation with their parents about what their goals were as a teen, whether they reached those goals, and what their advice would be.

Making a Long-Term Impact on Teens

For one high school student, SRAE made such an impact on him that he chose to stay at school and attend health class rather than go home early. He enjoyed the class so much that he didn’t want to miss the material that was shared.

For North Star educators, it is a joy to hear that the information they are teaching matters and makes a difference. Our educators hope to help teens develop strong communication skills and make choices that will benefit them in the future.

North Star Youth Partnership strives to help teens become healthy, self-assured adults. But we can’t do it without you. Donating using our Amazon Charity List is a simple, impactful way to support our work.

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Nicole Sanders

 Nicole Sanders is a North Star Youth Partnership educator and has a bachelor’s in education from Arizona Christian University. She has a heart and passion for youth and has worked with middle and high school students for more than 20 years. She has been married for over 16 years and has four kids including two teenagers.