SMART Kids I and II—is a primary prevention program for youth ages 6-9 that is designed to help youth identify and resist peer, social and media pressure that promote high-risk behaviors. This is accomplished by educating youth and teaching them the resistance and other life skills needed to avoid involvement with premature sexual activity and additional negative behaviors.
Start SMART—a resistance skills training program for youth ages 9-12 that focuses on ways to help youth identify and resist peer, social, and media pressure to use alcohol or other drugs or to become involved sexually. It includes sessions related to the onset of puberty and to friendships; both critical concerns for this age group.
Stay SMART—a social skills program for 13-15 year olds that incorporates resistance skills, stress reduction techniques, communication skills, assertiveness training, life planning and accurate information about drug use, alcohol use and adolescent sexuality.
SMART Girls – a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls ages 8-12 and 13-17. Through dynamic sessions, highly participatory activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women, Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.
Puberty Education — separate sessions for girls and boys, ages 9-12, teaching how the body changes during adolescence and identifying their value system regarding premature sexual activity.
Passport to Manhood— a pregnancy prevention program for boys ages 11-13 with a focus on character building through role-playing techniques.
Wise Guys — a pregnancy-prevention program for boys 14-18 including skill building and life planning.
Look Both Ways— engages girls ages 12-14 in fun and exciting activities to strengthen assertiveness and resistance skills so that they can say no to sexual intercourse without losing friends. The program helps build positive support for being abstinent, but also begins to introduce girls to the need to avoid pregnancy and protect their health if they do have sexual intercourse (as 25 to 30 percent of girls this age group have done). Curriculum also discusses gender identity and sexual orientation.
Look Both Ways II— designed for young men and women ages 15- to 18 years old. The programs helps teens think about goals, values, relationships and their futures and about the impact that getting pregnant or becoming infected with an STD could have. Activities in Look Both Ways help them face reality, improve communication skills and plan accordingly. Curriculum also discusses gender identity and sexual orientation.
Too Good For Drugs and Violence — provides facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs for youth ages 5-13—facts that help kids set goals and make good decisions that contribute to their health and well-being. The program encourages skill building for managing emotions, communicating effectively, making positive friendships, countering social influences, analyzing media messages and refusing peer pressure. Youth also develop skills for conflict resolution, anger management, respect for self and others, and effective communication—keys to social-emotional intelligence. Program lessons and activities help kids realize that as individuals and as a group, they are too good for bullying and violence, as they gain skills for, and confidence in their ability to interact cooperatively and peacefully.
Talking With T.J. — an educational program designed to teach children ages 7-10 how to get along and how to get things done in a group. The program combines entertaining video stories with lively discussions and fun activities to teach pro-social skills.
Drug Abuse/Violence Prevention Speakers— Speakers Series for youth ages 13-18.
2010 Health & Life Skills Partner Programs
Mountain Park Environmental Center’s Mountain Man Discovery Camp — Led by an all-male team, boys ages 12-15 will participate in several outdoor activities like ropes course, hiking, rock climbing, rafting, and camping to open discussion on what it means to be a responsible man in the 2000's, particularly as it relates to teen pregnancy issues.
The Birds & the Bees & the Flowers & the Trees (BBFT) — Program is a collaborative effort between the Mountain Park Environmental Center (MPEC) and The Pueblo City-County Health Department Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (APPP). BBFT is designed to weave pregnancy prevention education with nature/environmental education, using the natural world as a catalyst for the program’s educational objectives. BBFT is set up as a residential summer camp and takes place in Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah.
Growing Up Smart (GUS)- A Planned Parenthood program that is designed to enable Middle School aged youth to make healthy life choices. It is a long-term program that uses the medically accurate and age appropriate Evidence Based curriculum "Draw the Line, Respect the Line.” Lasting 11 sessions, Growing Up Smart promotes abstinence as the most effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy and STDs. The curriculum also addresses puberty, anatomy, and how to nurture a foundation for responsible sexual decision making and healthy relationships. Additionally, the curriculum focuses on developing assertive communication skills to say "No” to unwanted sexual pressure.
Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) – A Planned Parenthood program that is designed to meet the needs of today’s High School aged youth by providing necessary and accurate information on the importance of healthy responsible sexuality. It is a long-term program that uses the medically accurate and age appropriate Evidence Based curriculum "Safer Choices.” Lasting 14 sessions, the Personal Responsibility Education Program promotes abstinence as the most effective and safest way to prevent unintended pregnancy and STDs. The curriculum also addresses reproductive anatomy, contraception, STDs, responsible sexual decision making, and healthy relationships.
Growing Together- A Girls Incorporated program (facilitated by Girls Inc. of Santa Fe) for Girls ages 9 – 11 & a Parent/Adult. Five interactive sessions, presented in a weekend format, jump-start crucial, two-way conversations between girls and a trusted adult about sexuality issues to open doors to future communication. Key topics include parents being the primary sexuality educators; changes during puberty; anatomy, physiology and hygiene; adolescent sexual development and feelings; and values and expectations for teen sexual behavior.
Health & Life Skills Events
Community Outreach Projects— the Club’s youth members/families organize special events, such the Tom & Louis’ Cupboard Holiday Food Drive, Check It Out Tobacco’s Out Walk, Health Fair, and Kids Day Out. Youth members and families also participate in community-sponsored events, such as Red Ribbon Week, Tobacco Coalition, Great American Smoke-Out, and AIDS Awareness Week.