Program Overview
Be in Charge is a five-lesson Family Life curriculum that is a part of Health and Wellness education for rural Tennessee students in 9th or 10th grade. The overall goal is to partner with parents and caregivers of teens to help prepare them for adulthood in the areas of adolescent development, healthy life skills, and healthy relationships.
As a participant of Be in Charge your student will learn the following skills:
- Effective communication
- Healthy relationship development (including consent and dating safety)
- Teen pregnancy and STI prevention
- Abstinence-centered in accordance with Tennessee’s Family Life Law
- How to plan ahead to avoid risky situations
- How to develop and utilize a support network
Parent Participation in Be in Charge
Research shows that the most powerful protective asset a student can have is a parent or adult that they can trust and talk to. Below are some ways that you can follow up with your student on what they are learning during Be in Charge.
- Follow along with the daily outlines. Talk to your student about the topics they learned that day and conversation starters.
- Participate in the Home Activities.
- Check out our Talking Tips and follow up resources at Centerstone Teen.
Daily Outlines
Daily Outline 1
Students are introduced to the curriculum and learn about communication styles.
Home Activities
Day 1: Effective Communication
Discuss the Take a B.R.E.A.K. skillset with your teen. Help them list out at least 2 strategies for being Ready to Go when needed. If they bring this list to class tomorrow, they will receive a small incentive (i.e. puzzle pen, piece of candy, etc.).
Day 2: Consent, Healthy Relationships, & Support Systems
Discuss what makes your teen feel supported. Who and where do they go to for support? What are some ways that they can support themselves? Help them fill out the My Support System worksheet. If they bring the completed worksheet with them to the next class, they will receive a small incentive.
Day 3: Puberty, Reproduction, & Pregnancy Prevention
Discuss the emotional and physical changes that occur during puberty with your teen. Help them label an anatomy diagram. If they bring the completed diagram to class tomorrow, they will receive a small incentive.
Day 4: Preventing STIs
Discuss a plan to prevent sexually transmitted infections with your teen. This could include methods to prevent giving or getting an STI, where to go to get tested, and who to talk to about getting tested. If they bring their plan with them to class tomorrow, they will receive a small incentive. They do not have to share their plan with the facilitator or classmates. They only need to show their plan to the facilitator in order to receive an incentive.
Day 5: Program Review & Conclusion
Discuss the Be in Charge program with your teen. Have them explain at least 3 things they learned during the class. Be sure to answer any questions they might have or contact us using the Ask an Expert QR code on their Resource Card.
Want printable version of these activities? Download our Home Activities handout.
Other Helpful Resources
- 2021 TN Family Life Law
- As of 2021, the teen birth rate in Tennessee is 21.5 per 1,000 females aged 15-19.
- As of 2020, the teen pregnancy rate in Tennessee was 23.3 per 1,000 females aged 15-19. For information on pregnancy rates by county, click here.
- of 2020, the STI rate for teens aged 15-17 in Tennessee was 18.6 per 1,000. For further information on STI rates by county, click here.
More Information
You can reach out to your student’s Be in Charge facilitator listed on the Program Consent form or email us at Prevention@centerstone.org
